Body-Worn Sensor for Point-of-Care Vascular Access Monitoring

Lead Research Organisation: Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: School of Engineering & Materials Scienc

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease is a major challenge for healthcare systems in the UK and around the world. It is estimated that a significant proportion of NHS budget is spent on life sustaining renal replacement therapy including haemodialysis. During haemodialysis, arterial blood is filtered externally to remove toxins through a surgically created vascular access in the form of arteriovenous fistulas and grafts. The lifetime cost of the treatment and the long-term dialysis efficacy critically depends on maintaining the functions of the vascular access. Access failure is the leading cause of hospitalisation and surgery for patients on haemodialysis, with dialysis related admissions costing an estimated £75m each year. This failure is often a result of vascular narrowing which increases the risk of vascular occlusion caused by clotting. Hence, access maintenance is the key in the life-sustaining treatment for patients under haemodialysis.

Current recommendations for vascular access surveillance are focused on clinical assessment and flow-volume measurement during the hospital visits for dialysis treatment, which often only identify already established problems. Therefore, a more regular or continuous monitoring approach which enables the early identification of those patients at highest risk will improve long-term patency rates, improving quality of life while simultaneously reducing mortality rates and treatment costs.

In this project, we will develop a body-worn sensor for cardiovascular monitoring, particularly to address a long-standing clinical challenge in vascular access health surveillance. Presently, vascular access surveillance is purely hospital-visit based, which is expensive and inadequate as problems often occur outside hospitals. Our preliminary clinical studies suggest that early signs of access failure can be detected even before the first hospital visit. The outcome of this adventurous research is expected to transform not only the current clinical practice in vascular-access surveillance but also the future broader cardiovascular monitoring and homecare.
 
Description We synthesised ultrasound transducer materials in the lab and made wearable ultrasound sensors by using our transducers. We compared the performance of our transducers with commercial ultrasound probes and comparable results are obtained.
Exploitation Route We will further develop our wearable ultrasound sensors into a prototype and aim to carry out in-human trials soon.
Sectors Healthcare

 
Description QMUL-CSC PhD Studentship
Amount £80,000 (GBP)
Organisation Chinese Scholarship Council 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country China
Start 08/2023 
End 08/2027
 
Description Wearable ultrasound sensor for vascular access home monitoring
Amount £25,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Dialysis - Project 01 (co-funded by SEPKA) 
Organisation Kidney Research UK 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
End 02/2025
 
Description Partnership with Imperial College London 
Organisation Imperial College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We are developing wearable ultrasound sensors.
Collaborator Contribution Providing support and technical advice on flexible electronics, ultrasound imaging, and human-machine interface.
Impact Ongoing and to be reported. Multidisciplinary, including ultrasound imaging, flexible electronics and human-machine interface.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Partnership with Royal Free Hospital 
Organisation Royal Free Hospital
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution We are developing ultrasound transducers.
Collaborator Contribution Providing clinical support and patient advice on ultrasound vascular access surveillance.
Impact Ongoing and to be reported. Multidisciplinary, including clinical ultrasound scan, ultrasound sensors and wearable technologies.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Partnership with Royal London Hospital 
Organisation Royal London Hospital
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution We are develop ultrasound transducers for measuring the blood flow patterns in vascular access monitoring.
Collaborator Contribution Providing clinical advice and support.
Impact Ongoing and outcome is to be reported. Multidisciplinary collaboration, including clinical research, wearable technologies, sensors and mornitoring.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Partnership with University of Leeds 
Organisation University of Leeds
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We are developing ultrasound transducers.
Collaborator Contribution Providing support and technical advice on ultrasonics particularly on the electronic system for ultrasound detection and analysis.
Impact Ongoing and the outcome is to be reported. Multidisciplinary, including electronics, ultrasonics and ultrasound measurements.
Start Year 2022
 
Title Wearable ultrasound sensor for health monitoring 
Description A laboratory prototype of the wearable ultrasound sensor patch and ethical approval obtained to conduct laboratory testing of the sensor for human volunteers. Currently the project is supported by Kidney Research UK. 
Type Diagnostic Tool - Non-Imaging
Current Stage Of Development Initial development
Year Development Stage Completed 2023
Development Status Under active development/distribution
Impact Research using the device for applications in vascular access monitoring. Further funding is to be sought to move on to the next stage in clinical trials. 
 
Description Research demonstration to University undergraduate students 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact In this workshop to showcase the research projects in Biomedical Engineering at Queen Mary University of London to first year undergraduate students in biomedical engineering (70 students in total). A demonstration with the wearable ultrasound sensor patch was carried out to show the scale of the sensor and explaining the working mechanism and application of the ultrasound sensor patch.
The event was successful. Students in groups asked questions during the 2 hours workshop, demonstrating their strong interest. Several students expressed their interests in taking a final year project in ultrasound sensor patch.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023