A research project at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals (RBHH) aims to determine whether a new medical device can help the early identification of those with worsening heart failure.
The Acorai Heart Monitor is a specialist non-invasive device which uses a unique combination of sensors and artificial intelligence to analyse heart signals to understand the flow and pressure of blood through the heart and lungs. The Acorai device can provide a non-invasive, estimate of the specialist blood pressure in the heart to guide personalised heart failure treatment.
Heart failure is caused when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body effectively and symptoms can include breathlessness, fatigue, light-headedness or fainting, and swollen ankles and legs.
It is long-term condition that cannot usually be cured and tends to get gradually worse over time. It also accounts for 2% of the total NHS budget and for 5% of all emergency hospital admissions in the UK.
It is usually very difficult to determine how heart failure will progress on an individual basis, and the disease can be very unpredictable, which is where the Acorai Heart Monitor comes in.
Funded by Acorai, this research aims to determine whether the device can provide an accurate non-invasive measure of cardiac output and pulmonary pressures compared to the current standard of care, which is invasive right heart catheterisation, and involves the insertion of a catheter into the heart.
Dr Owais Dar, consultant cardiologist, secured an unrestricted grant from Acorai to support a research fellow for 3 years within the heart failure team at RBHH to conduct research into advanced heart failure, transplantation and mechanical circulatory support.
A trial on the device is already being undertaken globally and Dr Dar will be leading the project at RBHH, the first site in the UK.
Dr Dar explained the potential of the device.
“A simple point of care non-invasive test could be used by patients at home to identify earlier worsening heart failure and thereby allow opportunities for specialists to intervene and improve both quality of life and survival. The possibilities are endless, but the device needs to be rigorously tested in well-designed studies.
“It is exciting to be involved in leading the study in the UK. The Acorai device could be potentially game changing for so many people living with heart failure.”
The study begins recruitment in March 2023
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