Digital Health Platform Monitors Renal Failure

A noninvasive bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) monitoring system assists clinicians in measuring exact fluid volume in patients undergoing dialysis.

The ImpediMed (Brisbane, Australia) SOZO system is designed to measure a host of tissue parameters, including total body water (TBW), extracellular fluid (ECF), intracellular fluid (ICF), skeletal muscle mass, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), protein and minerals, basal metabolic rate (BMR), phase angle, body mass index (BMI), and more by sending out electric signals through the body and measuring how these are attenuated by the tissues at 256 unique points over a wide spectrum of frequencies, from 3-1000 kHz.


The result delivers a precise snapshot of fluid status and tissue composition in less than 30 seconds. All measurement data, and other calculated measures and trends are stored in the proprietary and secure MySOZO cloud, with one account capable of running multiple SOZO devices. Devices can be moved to other sites and test locations without additional set-up. In addition, new applications can back-calculate all existing patient data. All user accounts, patient records, and available data can be accessed immediately online for sharing across an entire healthcare system.

“There is a clear need for an innovative device to help clinicians more effectively manage end-stage renal disease patients. The mortality rate of these patients remains persistently high, with many dying from fluid related heart failure,” said Richard Carreon, managing director and CEO of ImpediMed. “We believe SOZO can provide a significant improvement to the dialysis process by better quantifying the volume of fluid needed to be removed.”

“Dry weight assessment and appropriate fluid removal during dialysis remains a significant challenge for nephrologists. Clinical assessment alone appears to be inadequate in many dialysis patients, especially those with multiple coexisting illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” said Mark Boiskin, MD, of the California Institute of Renal Research (San Diego, USA). “A device that can quickly and easily be used in the dialysis setting to accurately measure fluid volume … may significantly improve quality of care and improve patient outcomes.”

Kidney disease is usually progressive, with each stage determined by glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and dependent on treatment and response. Chronic kidney disease typically does not reach ESRD, the fifth stage of the progression, until 10-20 years after initial diagnosis. The kidneys of people with ESRD function below 15% of their normal ability, with current methods to measure the accumulation of fluid in kidney failure patients utilizing weight scales.

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