December 16, 2020
Biospectal today announced the publication of the first, large-scale, third-party clinical research study published by Scientific Reports in Nature, which validates the ability of Biospectal’s OptiBP™ smartphone app to accurately measure blood pressure utilizing transdermal optical sensing with only a fingertip applied to a smartphone camera lens.
Biospectal notes the study, conducted in the hypertensive unit of the CHUV hospital at the University Lausanne in Switzerland, showed reference data captured simultaneously with a phone recording blood flow via a smartphone camera on the patient fingertip.
Biospectal trained its software algorithm utilizing over two million resulting invasively acquired blood pressure samples recorded in the operating room of the CHUV in partnership with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), and then validated it with outpatients in the hypertension clinic CHUV.
Results revealed Biospectal’s new cuffless, non-invasive optical approach to blood pressure measurement achieved performance equivalent to that of a traditional blood pressure cuff. Biospectal’s OptiBP patented technology was co-developed and also clinically validated by the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) as well as leading hospitals across multiple countries.
“The clinical study of Biospectal OptiBP published by Scientific Reports in Nature represents the first rigorous, scientifically-validated work that demonstrates the impending medical revolution by putting clinical monitoring in the hands of patients wherever they might happen to be,” said Dr. Patrick Schoettker, MD, Chief Medical Advisor of Biospectal. “The traditional blood pressure cuff design hasn’t changed in 100+ years.”
He went on to say, “Biospectal’s OptiBP technology will empower patients with a medical-grade device that is integrated into the smartphone already in their pocket and in their natural environment, which is ideally where blood pressure should be monitored. OptiBP is an example of a broader transition toward remote patient monitoring that moves the clinical functions and capability out of the professional setting to the ‘point of patient’ where they live.”
How Biospectal OptiBP Works.
The Biospectal OptiBP app runs on a typical smartphone and uses the built-in camera to record and measure a user’s blood flow via their fingertip quickly and easily. Biospectal’s proprietary algorithms and optical signal capture methods then transform the information into blood pressure values. With Biospectal’s software solutions, anyone in the world with a smartphone can turn their device into a connected, smart, clinical-grade monitor in the time it takes to download and install an app. Key benefits include:
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Connected remote monitoring shortens pathways from measurement to action in a clinical regimen
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Ease of use with an existing ubiquitous device — the smartphone — removes adherence barriers
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App form factor offers continuous product improvement and feature update
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Unprecedented data insights via worldwide device network drive high value for drug development and lower insurance costs
According to The World Health Organization, an estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide have hypertension, and only one in five people have control over the condition. Equally, the onset of COVID-19 has exacerbated people’s ability to monitor and manage their blood pressure accurately. People need a digital means to monitor, track and share blood pressure data with their doctors.
Backed by grants from Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Biospectal’s OptiBP smartphone app and connected data platform enables clinical-grade blood pressure management at the ‘point of patient’ without the need for bulky extra hardware. OptiBP provides better ‘cuffless’ tracking of blood pressure, and the data captured can connect seamlessly with a user’s doctor to support a treatment regimen to help improve health, longevity and quality of life.
“We view OptiBP as a clear case of disruption of an old paradigm of the blood pressure cuff. We are passionate and grateful to have developed this novel approach to blood pressure measurement to democratize access to healthcare monitoring and improve lives at a global scale,” added Eliott Jones, CEO of Biospectal.