Project Background and Need
Blood pressure measures the force exerted by blood against the vessel walls in the circulatory system. Hypertension, or chronically elevated blood pressure, is a strong predictor for the development of vascular disease. Undiagnosed hypertension often leads to the development of more serious conditions, such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarctions, chronic heart failure, and strokes. The condition can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes. However, it can only be diagnosed through measurement rather than symptoms. Approximately 6% of adults in the US (12 million, ~20% of hypertensive adults) have undiagnosed hypertension. Underdiagnosis is a larger issue in India, where it is estimated that 16% of adults have existing, undiagnosed hypertension. Increased screening is required to identify patients who should pursue further treatment.
Cost, speed, and ease of use are the primary considerations for the device. Rural and other low-income areas often lack either the resources or equipment to routinely screen patients for hypertension. In addition, many modern methods of BP measurement require training or technical skills that are difficult to come by in these regions. Even if the tools for measurement are available, the skill of the operator can have a significant influence on the test outcome, leading to disparate or unreliable results. Finally, the time required for modern methods to return results limits their ability to screen large groups of people rapidly.
Sources:
1. Joshi, Shashank R., Banshi Saboo, et. al. "Prevalence of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes and Hypertension in India—Results from the Screening India's Twin Epidemic (SITE) Study." Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 14.1 (2012): 8-15. Web.
2. Yoon, Sung S., Vicki Burt, Tatiana Louis, and Margaret D. Carroll. "Hypertension Among Adults in the United States, 2009–2010."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 02 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
3. NIH. "What Is High Blood Pressure?" What Is High Blood Pressure?NHLBI, NIH, 2 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
4. Janusz Kaczorowski, PhD, Martin Dawes, MB, BS, MD, FRCGP, Mark Gelfer, MD. Measurement of blood pressure: New developments and challenges. BCMJ, Vol. 54, No. 8, October, 2012, page(s) 399-403 — Articles.
Cost, speed, and ease of use are the primary considerations for the device. Rural and other low-income areas often lack either the resources or equipment to routinely screen patients for hypertension. In addition, many modern methods of BP measurement require training or technical skills that are difficult to come by in these regions. Even if the tools for measurement are available, the skill of the operator can have a significant influence on the test outcome, leading to disparate or unreliable results. Finally, the time required for modern methods to return results limits their ability to screen large groups of people rapidly.
Sources:
1. Joshi, Shashank R., Banshi Saboo, et. al. "Prevalence of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes and Hypertension in India—Results from the Screening India's Twin Epidemic (SITE) Study." Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 14.1 (2012): 8-15. Web.
2. Yoon, Sung S., Vicki Burt, Tatiana Louis, and Margaret D. Carroll. "Hypertension Among Adults in the United States, 2009–2010."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 02 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
3. NIH. "What Is High Blood Pressure?" What Is High Blood Pressure?NHLBI, NIH, 2 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
4. Janusz Kaczorowski, PhD, Martin Dawes, MB, BS, MD, FRCGP, Mark Gelfer, MD. Measurement of blood pressure: New developments and challenges. BCMJ, Vol. 54, No. 8, October, 2012, page(s) 399-403 — Articles.
Project Scope
We will design a device to safely, accurately, and rapidly screen for high blood pressure in a minimally invasive fashion. The intended use of this device is public screening administered outside of a clinical setting. To reach the population segments with low availability of healthcare, our design needs to be inexpensive and usable by individuals without medical training in low-resource regional healthcare settings in the United States and India. We are looking to adapt present technologies for use in these settings by improving factors such as cost, speed, ease of use, and portability.