A micro-sensor that can be implanted in peripheral blood vessels via a simple catheter, which will monitor the health of the heart and the entire cardiovascular system in order to immediately identify any abnormal signals and provide timely and personalized treatments. The European project, called IV-Lab and coordinated by the Italian Institute of Technology of Pontedera (Pisa), started thanks to funding of over 4 million euros from the European Innovation Council. For Italy, the National Research Council is also involved, with the Institute of Clinical Physiology in Rome and the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism in Parma.
The researchers coordinated by Virgilio Mattoli will develop a prototype of the device, measuring 1-2 centimeters in length and 4 millimeters in diameter, which will incorporate multiple sensors thanks to advanced manufacturing techniques. The main innovation compared to what is currently on the market concerns the possibility of monitoring various parameters simultaneously, such as vessel deformation, blood pressure and glucose concentration. Once implanted in the body, the sensor will be connected wirelessly to an external data collection system or to a simple smartphone.
“The device we want to develop will find important applications in the field of cardiovascular diseases,” says Mattoli: “Its use will be relevant, for example, in those patients where the detection of specific biomarkers could be a key element to avoid their hospitalization and reduce mortality, as in the case of heart failure or coronary restenosis”, that process of re-occlusion of the coronary artery section freed with angioplasty.
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