Non-Invasive AAA Monitoring via Photoplethysmography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting and monitoring abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are invasive, require frequent hospital visits, and often fail to prevent ruptures due to insufficient monitoring frequency.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive device and method using a sensor to detect AAA by comparing pulsating blood volume signals from a body part with a reference signal, allowing for frequent monitoring at home without imaging or high expertise, utilizing a photoplethysmogram sensor or other sensors to assess vascular pathology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ultrasound or CT scans are used for AAA detection and monitoring, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical imaging systems (ultrasound, CT) with a simple optical sensor system that uses photoplethysmography to detect blood volume changes. This substitution maintains diagnostic capability while dramatically simplifying the device and enabling home use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses blood volume changes in peripheral vessels as an intermediary indicator of AAA presence and progression. Instead of directly imaging the aorta, the system measures peripheral blood volume pulsations that reflect central aortic hemodynamics, enabling indirect but effective AAA detection.
2Reliability
If monitoring frequency is increased to prevent rupture, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and patient burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables patients to perform self-monitoring at home using a simple handheld device. Patients can independently check their AAA status without requiring hospital visits, professional equipment, or expert operators, thus achieving frequent monitoring without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables periodic monitoring at convenient intervals (e.g., daily or weekly) rather than requiring fixed hospital appointments every six months. This periodic self-monitoring allows patients to track AAA progression continuously while maintaining normal daily routines.
3Measurement precision
If specialized imaging facilities are required for AAA monitoring, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces specialized imaging facilities with a simple optical sensor that can be operated by any patient at home. The device requires no technical expertise, no hospital infrastructure, and no specialized training, making AAA monitoring as accessible as any other home health measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified copy of hospital-based monitoring capability that can be used at home. By measuring peripheral blood volume changes that reflect central aortic conditions, the device reproduces essential diagnostic information without requiring actual hospital equipment or facilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables early detection and frequent monitoring of AAA progression, reducing the risk of rupture by allowing patients to receive timely surgical intervention, and can be used by general practitioners and patients without the need for hospital visits.
Implementation Method 1
a photoplethysmogram sensor. Two emitters and a detector are positioned adjacent the tissue being measured
Data Source
AI summary
Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) cause a large number of deaths annually. Ruptures occur even in people who are already diagnosed with AAA and are being monitored. The reason is that the interval between tests is too long because of the need to visit a pathological facility with imaging equipment. It is preferable to estimate the progress of AAA frequently, once detected, in a non-invasive manner, preferably at the subject's home, without the need for the subject to visit a pathological facility. A device is disclosed for detecting a state of a vascular pathology of a subject, comprising a sensor signal unit (103) for providing a signal representative of a blood volume in a body part of a subject, a comparator (107) for comparing the sensor signal with a reference signal, and a user interface (109) for conveying a result based on the comparison to a user of the device.