Valencell is showing off an innovative blood pressure monitoring device at CES 2023. According to Engadget, it will be cuffless.
The new blood pressure monitoring device developed by the company is a finger clip, like that of a pulse oximeter.
So, rather than inflating a sleeve around the top of your arm, using Valencell's new creation, you'll be able to monitor your blood pressure with a finger clip.
Valencell Creates an Innovative Blood Pressure Monitoring Device
Valencell is a known innovator when it comes to digital health solutions. They particularly focus on chronic disease management.
The company develops and delivers medical-grade digital health solutions worldwide. These solutions are intuitive, accurate, and easy to incorporate into everyday health routines.
When it comes to blood pressure monitoring, Valencell is introducing a finger clip monitoring device. This innovative invention would help many people monitor their blood pressure conveniently.
According to the World Health Organization, around 9.4 million people die from complications related to high blood pressure every year. The problem with hypertension is many people aren't even aware they have it.
You will only know that you have high blood pressure if you'll check it regularly. Doctors typically measure blood pressure using a traditional arm cuff reader.
According to Valencell, similar traditional arm cuff readers are also available for home use. However, such devices reportedly have limitations.
Based on research conducted, blood pressure cuffs at-home blood can lead to errors because of ill-fitting bands and improper arm positioning. Moreover, the arm cuff device is also not well designed for larger patients.
Because of this, many health tech companies, including Valencell, are exploring more convenient ways for people to measure their blood pressure. This time, using wearable technology.
Valencell's Device is Already Being Evaluated by FDA
Currently, Valencell's blood pressure monitoring device has a pending FDA clearance.
According to the company, it utilizes PPG sensors to measure blood flow patterns. The said information is then run through an algorithm that calculates the movement against a dataset containing 7,000 patient records.
Then, the record is run up against the user's age, weight, gender, and height in order to produce a blood pressure measurement.
Upon using the finger clip, you'll get both Diastolic and Systolic results. These can be seen on the device's built-in screen. In addition, it will be pushed to the companion mobile app.
Although Valencell says that its creation is unique, another system also uses PPG and algorithms in place of a cuff.
The said invention was made by the University of Missouri at the beginning of 2022. The university also created a finger clip that harnesses a pair of PPG sensors.
However, by its creators' own admission, it offers far less accurate diastolic measurement, given the need to control for a person's age, gender and weight.
It seems that Valencell has solved those issues by including more data. Using their invention, you won't even need to calibrate its monitor with an initial cuff reading.
But we still have to wait for FDA's approval before we are able to use Valencell's device. According to Engadget, it could take much of the year. If approved by the agency, the company says it'll sell the finger clip for $99.
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