A Cambridge start up, Heartfelt, has introduced a new way of identifying heart failure risks in patients by monitoring their foot volume. An infrared time-of-flight 3D camera (ToF Cam) automatically monitors the patient’s bare feet and lower legs for swelling, which is considered one of the leading indicators of heart failure. The device then measures the foot volume and evaluates it, which in turn alerts in case of an increased risk factor.
Monitoring heart failure risks
Heartfelt’s solution is helping patients and hospitals in reducing their hospital readmission rates. Their non contact system reduces patient risk compared to implanted devices. Heartfelt devices rely on optical sensors to monitor heart failure tendencies at home and easily integrate with the lifestyle of the patient without interfering with the patient’s routine or quality of life.
As we know, that after heart treatment, patients are typically discharged from hospitals, and it is suggested to monitor their symptoms, such as weight gain or feet swelling, on a daily basis. But it is a fact that not every patient is able to perform the monitoring as recommended by doctors, and usually the patients that can’t keep up with regular monitoring are the ones coming for repeated admissions.
CEO and chief scientific officer, Dr. Oriane Chausiaux, Dr. Shamus Husheer, said,
“It’s a graphics 3D graphics programme to simulate models in 3D of people’s feet and train the neural networks.”
Source: Theengineer
Heartfelt’s AI based solution for heart patients
Heartfelt’s device utilizes artificial intelligence combined with visual tech to evaluate a patient’s risk and give timely alerts. This also eases the lives of family members along with the patient, as it provides an easy way of monitoring and provides doctors with the data needed to make decisions about the life longevity of patients, and so that they can live healthier lives.
It also removes the burden of remembering facts and figures for patients or caregivers, as the device keeps track of records, and doctors also get five times more data as compared to manual monitoring regimes using weighing scales and relying on human sight. Another factor that makes the heartfelt system more efficient is that regularity does not reduce over time and data is continuously collected, which adds a layer of reliability to the diagnosis process.
The device is usually installed at the patient’s home and will record the required data whenever the patient walks in front of the device. The data is then transmitted via the internet automatically to the cloud for processing and labeling by the system. If the telemedicine monitoring system flags the data as high risk, caregivers and related medical professionals are automatically notified to take the required action, providing a timely solution to help patients in need.
Information taken from Heartfelt.
