A non-invasive solution is already being tested.
Slovak startup Seerlinq has developed an algorithm that turns a smartwatch that monitors heart rate into a life-saving device, reports Denník N.
When the weakened heart is unable to pump the sufficient amount of blood needed by the body, the lungs become flooded with blood and pulmonary edema occurs. This results in the person suffocating, and their survival depends on whether emergency help arrives in time.
But Allan Böhm and his team at Seerlinq say they can predict heart failure based on data from watches. The company uses what’s called a PPG sensor, which most smart devices have, to capture changes in blood vessel volume.
The startup is monitoring 30 patients with heart disease and their technology can warn them of impending heart failure several weeks in advance. According to Böhm, the same method could be used in other health conditions as well.
Tens of millions of people around the world suffer from chronic disease. Heart failure can happen at any time, but it is very difficult to predict, even for doctors.
Seerlinq says it can analyze data from any smart device with a PPG sensor, but that getting it from watchmakers can be problematic due to fears of misuse.
Therefore, he came up with the idea of a small device that the patient can put on the finger every three days.
Seerlinq is now trying to raise 5 million euros to enter the European market. A clinical study supported by Dôvera’s insurer, involving 300 of his patients, is due to start soon. Böhm says he hopes insurance companies will be convinced the device will save money on hospitalizations.