BPatch - Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring

Blood pressure is one of the most important vital values that can be measured. High blood pressure leads to conditions that are among the top 10 diseases with the most years of life lost, think of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. UMCG has partnered up with 2M Engineering, TracXon and TNO at Holst Centre to develop the BPatch that allows to measure blood pressure continuously, thus giving much more valuable information about the behaviour of blood pressure in time.

Currently, blood pressure is measured by a separate, single measurement. However, blood pressure fluctuates due to exercise, stress or the natural circadian day/night rhythm. A snapshot therefore provides a very poor representation of the actual course of a patient’s blood pressure.

During this project, the project partners will work together to develop a blood pressure patch, called the BPatch, which will enable continuous blood pressure measurement. By using the intended BPatch, it will be possible to monitor blood pressure in a non-invasive way for a longer period of time (up to 14 days continuously). This ensures the availability of essential information about the patient’s well-being, enabling faster and better care to be provided. The project therefore has a significant impact on the health transition. Medication can be set at a personal level and preventive measures can be taken earlier (e.g. adjusting lifestyle). Because there is insight into the blood pressure pattern, the effect of the treatment can be made transparent and adjustments can be done instantly.

Collaborations

A consortium of knowledge instutions University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and University of Groningen, and companies 2M Engineering, Tracxon and Holst Centre