Polish invention has a chance to revolutionize cardiac diagnostics! Researchers from the University of Lodz have succeeded in developing a breakthrough sensor to measure the amount of water in the lungs, which will facilitate early detection of heart failure. And the problem is very significant – in 2019 alone. 124,000 died prematurely in Poland because of it. patients. What is the innovation of the new device and where will it find use?
Congestive heart failure – what is it?
Thanks to the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and the Polish Society of Cardiology in 2023. A rather shocking report “Heart Failure in Poland 2014-2021” has been published. It shows that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of all deaths in our country, and among them heart failure takes the greatest toll. In 2018. 1.25 million Poles are ill with the disease, with annual medical costs totaling PLN 1.6 billion. Half of the patients die within four years of diagnosis.
One type of condition is congestive heart failure, which is associated with structural or functional abnormalities and causes conductivity in the body. The heart is then unable to pump all the blood, and some of it remains in the lungs, legs or even the liver. Examination of these swellings – invisible to the naked eye – is a key part of the diagnosis of insufficiency, which has so far relied on unfavorable, high-energy X-ray techniques and expensive bioimpedance, or measurement of body conductivity. Both of these methods are time-consuming and require specialized interpretation, which delays diagnosis.
Add that due to the accumulation of transudate fluid in the alveoli, gas exchange and oxygenation of the body are impeded. Its amount can be tested by catheterization, but this is a procedure performed only in hospitals, invasive and does not guarantee a timely enough diagnosis for more patients. And with symptoms such as shortness of breath, patients most often report to primary care providers.
New sensor from Lodz scientists
Maciej Slot, a doctoral student in the Department of Solid State Physics at the University of Lodz and at the same time head of the grant “Study of dielectric permeability of transudate fluid,” has developed the design of a new sensor that will help detect excess water in alveoli quickly, easily and non-invasively. The device has already been filed for a patent in Poland and abroad. The sensor was developed as part of research conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Lodz, which, in addition to Eng. Maciej Slot, M.D., also includes Ph. Wielislaw Olejniczak, prof. Ph. Ilona Zasada and cardiologist Prof. Ph. n. med. Agata Bielecka – Dabrowa.
In 2021. The team received a grant for this purpose under the third edition of the Innovation 4.0 Incubator. The researchers took advantage of the fact that the lung transudate accompanying heart failure has a high dielectric permeability. This means that it has an easily detectable level of radiation absorption and scattering – the new sensor takes advantage of this property and allows to assess the presence of fluid in the lungs in the most economical and simple way.
How does the sensor work?
The cardiac sensor developed by Maciej Slot sends a low-energy signal that penetrates the patient’s chest. If there is water in the lungs, the device is able to detect the amount of water by measuring the level of transmission and reflection of the signal through the tissue contents. The result is reliable and available within seconds. The device itself is simple enough that it will be able to be used not only in hospitals, but also in primary care facilities. It consists of a radio transmitter and receiver, which are positioned at the height of the patient’s chest. The dose of radiation emitted is safe for health and makes it possible to diagnose even patients with implanted pacemakers.
The first model of the device has already made its way to the Department of Cardiology and Adult Congenital Defects, which operates within the Polish Mother’s Memorial Health Institute and is headed by Prof. Agata Bielecka – Dabrowa. The experimental study tested it on more than 150 patients diagnosed with heart failure. The Polish invention has the potential to be a breakthrough in diagnosing failure without costly equipment, highly skilled personnel and side effects on health. Moreover, the new method allows for non-contact testing and involves low energy expenditure. For patients suffering from water accumulation in the lungs, the innovative sensor means that medical intervention can be faster and more effective.