Aktiia has received a CE mark for its automated blood pressure monitoring system, which the company says is the first of its kind.
The Class IIa medical device is designed to gather blood pressure data 24/7, both during the day and while the wearer sleeps.
The data is then visualised in a companion app and can be shared with a physician or family member to detect concerning blood pressure changes.
Aktiia’s algorithms leverage optical sensors worn on the wrist and provide blood pressure values by analysing photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals generated by the change of the diameter of the arteries occurring at each heartbeat.
The measurements are taken automatically and do not require the wearable device to clamp down on the wrist or arm of the wearer, so they do not need to interrupt their day to take a reading.
The average person with hypertension measures their blood pressure only once per week due to the inconvenience and discomfort associated with a traditional cuff. This can leave them at risk for severe health complications due to poor monitoring.
Aktiia CEO Mike Kish said: “With cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death across the world, people need to better understand the impact of their lifestyle choices and physicians need the ability to more deeply understand blood pressure patterns so they can change the way that they diagnose and treat people living with hypertension.
“After 15 years in development and one million blood pressure readings, Aktiia has cracked the code to bring to market the world’s first automated 24-7 blood pressure monitoring system.”
The core technology was developed at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, while Aktiia was founded in 2018. It has been shown to perform within the required ISO standard for blood pressure measurement in clinical trials.
