Wireless Pressure Sensor for Heart Failure Monitoring

A miniature wireless sensor implanted using minimally-invasive techniques transmits cardiac output, blood pressure, and heart rate data.

The CardioMEMS wireless heart failure (HF) sensor is a miniature device designed to improve the management of severe chronic cardiovascular diseases such as aneurysms, HF, and hypertension. The sensor is delivered to the patient's pulmonary artery using a simple catheter based procedure. The pulmonary artery pressure is then measured and displayed using CardioMEMS' proprietary electronic monitoring system, and the pressure data is transmitted wirelessly to a secure database and is then available for review on the company's website. In addition, the pressure waveform can be automatically sent and displayed on a personal digital assistant (PDA) for remote viewing. The data provided by the sensor allows adjustment of medications to alleviate symptoms before they are severe enough to warrant hospitalization. The HF sensor is a product of CardioMEMS (Atlanta, GA, USA).

MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) technology uses semiconductor industry techniques to create micron scale machines incorporating both mechanical and electronic components. A key circuit element of the sensor is a capacitor composed of two electrically interfaced conducting plates separated by an air gap. Pressure changes alter the distance between capacitor plates which changes the known resonant frequency. An electronic monitoring device detects this change and converts it into a pressure change reading.

"I was impressed by the ease of implantation of the sensor and use of the system,” said Philip Adamson, M.D., director of the Heart Failure Institute at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital (OHH, Oklahoma City, OK, USA), where the first two patients in the United States were implanted with the device. "Heart failure is the primary cause of hospitalization in the United States, and I am hopeful that the information derived from the CardioMEMS system can help reduce the number of hospitalizations and improve the quality of life of these patients.”



Related Links:
CardioMEMS
Oklahoma Heart Hospital