Dr Chris Elliott explains how medically-accurate vital signs measurement from smartphones improves BP diagnosis and management to Indian Society of Hypertension
Leman Micro Devices (LMD), the developer of regulated consumer healthcare products that is backed by major players within the mobile device industry, is presenting its medically-accurate blood pressure measuring device, V-Sensor, at BPCon-2017. Dr Chris Elliott, Founder & Director of LMD, will be speaking to leading Indian experts at the Indian Society of Hypertension’s 27th National Congress when they debate the growing medical crisis facing the country as rates of hypertension escalate worldwide.
The three-day conference in New Delhi gathers together the latest research, diagnostic approaches, medication and technologies in the battle against the condition, which causes nearly 1.5 million deaths every year in South-East Asia. Prevalence of adult hypertension has markedly increased in the past three decades in urban and rural India: it is estimated that 16 per cent of ischemic heart disease, 21 per cent of peripheral vascular disease, 24 per cent of acute myocardial infarctions and 29 per cent of strokes are attributed to hypertension.*
Dr Elliott’s paper: “The impact of emerging personal technology on BP management” explains that LMD’s V-Sensor device and app, designed for low-cost high volume markets, is the only smartphone-integrated solution that measures blood pressure and other vital signs with medical accuracy. V-Sensor uses the established Riva-Rocci technique to measure blood pressure, but instead of using a cuff on the arm, the user simply presses their index finger against LMD’s V-Sensor, which is built into the smartphone. The V-Sensor app ensures the correct pressure is applied and gives an accurate reading in under 60 seconds, without needing any additional accessories or equipment. LMD’s V-Sensor is currently undergoing formal evaluation in order to apply for clearance from the Indian Central Licensing Authority, FDA and European Regulators. Once approved, smartphone makers are expected to begin integrating it into next-generation handsets as soon as next year.
Elliott comments: “120 million smartphones are sold annually in India, and the leading Indian phone makers could integrate the V-Sensor into future handsets. Not only would it give these companies a commercial edge over the others; many Indians could monitor their own blood pressure, and in rural areas where smartphone ownership is low, field workers could collect data and share it in real time with nurses, doctors and specialists, aiding fast diagnosis and saving lives.”
Source: Rhythma Kaul and Anubhuti Matta, ‘Hypertension kills on the sly’ Hindustan Times, 13 May 2017, accessed 8 August 2017 http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hypertension-kills-on-the-sly/story-UmA0RHo67SSUkDwCJoemVL.html
