INESC TEC develops cardiovascular monitoring system

The Telecommunications and Multimedia Unit (UTM) of INESC TEC has recently kicked-off project SIVIC - Portable Integrated System for Cardiovascular Monitoring, which aims to develop a wearable device for monitoring coronary and heart conditions. More specifically, this device will monitor electrocardiograms (ECG) and the state of stent-grafts (endografts) after EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair) procedures.

Other than the wearable device for capturing ECG, the main results of the project will be a set of pressure sensors (CSP) integrated in the actual stent-graft, and an electronic system (radio frequency) for reading ECG and CSP signals, capable of sending the aggregated information to an external data processing unit for medical use.

Other than INESC TEC, which will be responsible for the electronic reading and signal processing unit, the project also includes as partners the University of Beira Interior, which will develop the wearable device, and the University of Minho that will develop the pressure sensors. The project team also includes the supervision and support of a specialised cardiologist and technical members of the cardiology center of the Cova da Beira Hospital and the Center for Silicon System Implementation at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

At INESC TEC, the project is led by José Machado da Silva of UTM and the team will include Cristina Oliveira, also from UTM, and two researchers to be hired soon. The SIVIC is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

The INESC TEC researchers mentioned in this article are associated with the following partner institutions: INESC Porto.