“This measurement principle is so sensitive that it is able to measure even patients who have so-called reduced cardiac pulsatility. These people need some kind of support, one of which is the left-sided, continuous-flow ventricular assist device (CF – LVAD),” said Fabián, who works at the Department of Physics at FEE CTU. Fabián and his colleagues from CTU managed to develop and patent a prototype device, which they then successfully tested during their internship at the Mayo Clinic in the United States on several dozen patients with the aforementioned cardiac support.
According to Fabián, the advantage is that the measurement is done with a standard cuff. With possible future mass production and expansion of the device, patients could safely and comfortably measure their pressure at home – the device is also portable. Meanwhile, most non-invasive methods have so far failed to work for them. “The only way it can be measured non-invasively is by ultrasound now and that has to be done by a specialist,” Fabian pointed out. To move the device into clinical practice is needed a legally valid clinical study and cooperation with an industrial partner that could produce the device developed at the CTU in sufficient quantities.
Although the habilitation lecture is focused on the use of the method in the context of patients with cardiac support, its possible applications are broader, said Fabián. Among other things, it can be used to assess the speed of pulse wave propagation along the aorta relatively easily. It is one of the important indicators for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis. The method could also be useful in sports medicine. The athletes could easily determine their cardiac output. But Dr Fabian´s team is also exploring other potential uses for the method.
Assistant professor Vratislav Fabián
Occlusive method of blood pressure measurement for patients with implanted cardiac support type CF-LVAD
Wednesday 8 March 13:00
lecture room: T2:D3 – 209 (2nd floor)
Technická 2, Praha 6
