APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Cardiovascular health care
- Cardiovascular disease treatment research and clinical trials
ADVANTAGES:
- Relates more accurate cuff-based flow mediated dilation (cFMD) measurements with the ultrasound-based flow mediated dilation (uFMD) measurements used in most research studies
- Enables more accurate assessments of patients with stiffer arteries
ABSTRACT:
Berkeley Lab’s Jonathan Maltz, inventor of a cuff device to measure endothelial function, has developed a means of calibrating that device’s measurements with ultrasound-based flow mediated dilation (uFMD) measurements. This technology enables health care professionals and researchers to 1) take advantage of existing research on the affect of cardiovascular health factors (diet, physical activity, medical interventions, etc.), typically assessed using uFMD, and 2) correct for uMFD’s underestimation of smooth muscle response in patients with stiffer arteries, potentially improving results of medical interventions. Both endothelial function and endothelium-independent vasodilation may be studied using this approach.
Berkeley Lab’s existing cuff-based flow mediated dilation (cFMD) technology, differs from uFMD by measuring blood vessel cross-sectional area changes rather arterial diameter changes. In addition to integrating well with the existing cFMD device, the new calibration technology can work with other dilation measurement systems.
A device based on this technology was further developed by a former licensee. The following are available to new licensees:
- Prototypes
- Data on prototype performance
- Clinical trial data and documents indicating patient response and equivalence to ultrasound method
- Communication with the FDA regarding approval of the device for clinical trial
- Engineering drawings, including editable CAD files for chassis, electronic schematics
- Source code, application source, and firmware source
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: In a study of individuals with cardiovascular risk factor profiles less favorable than the general public, the calibration technology yielded a strong correlation between uFMD and cFMD measurements.
STATUS:
- Issued U. S. Patents 9,737,217 and 10,292,597.
- Licensed in the field of human medical diagnostics and vascular health monitoring.
REFERENCE NUMBER: 2015-056
SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:
Assessing Endothelial Function with a Standard Blood Pressure Duff, IB-2772
Noninvasive Detection of Preclinical Cardiovascular Disease IB-1796
Software Suite for Endothelial Function Assessment 2015-162