Profusa has collaborated with North Carolina State University's ASSIST Center to develop an ultrathin and wireless oxygen monitor for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).
The partnership has secured a $1.5m phase II small business innovation research (SBIR) grant from National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) division National Heart to develop flexible-patch reader that can be worn on the skin.
The device will be used for continuous wireless monitoring of tissue oxygen in patients undergoing treatment for PAD.
Profusa's tissue-integrated biosensor technology will be incorporated with ASSIST's thin-film electronics know-how bandage reader to develop a companion device to Profusa's Lumee oxygen platform.
Recently introduced in European Union (EU), the Lumee oxygen platform will allow medical practitioners to continuously measure tissue oxygen levels in ischemic limbs before, during, and after PAD treatment.
The oxygen platform is a single-biomarker sensor that integrates technology to monitor only local tissue oxygen compared to blood oxygen reported by other devices.
When treating PAD, the platform allows clinician to provide therapeutic action for maintaining tissue oxygen levels across the treatment and healing process.
Profusa chief technology officer and program principle investigator Dr Natalie Wisniewski said: "The goal of our collaboration is to develop a bandage-like version of Profusa's first-generation optical reader that is flexible, disposable, and conforms to the foot for continuous monitoring of tissue oxygen levels during revascularization and restenosis in patients with PAD.
"The impact of our alliance has the potential to be transformative, not just for PAD, but for the broad field of mobile health monitoring."