Scientists at NUI Galway are conducting clinical trials with a new 'smart vest' to try to establish whether diabetes can have a damaging effect on the heart. The sensor-packed garment can wirelessly and remotely monitor a patient's heart activity and other vital signs in real time over a prolonged period. The device, developed by Israeli company Healthwatch, is a sleeveless vest that has electrocardiograph sensors woven into the fabric. It is also capable of recording a range of other variables, including the patient's respiratory rate, temperature and whether they are moving, sitting or lying down. The data is collected in real time in a pack built into the vest and transferred wirelessly via a smartphone to a cloud based storage server. Once there, doctors, researchers and the patient can view the information on either a laptop or smartphone. "It allows the cardiologist to have a really in-depth

1. Smart vest may provide link between diabetes and
heart problems
Scientists at NUI Galway are conducting clinical trials
with a new 'smart vest' to try to establish whether
diabetes can have a damaging effect on the heart.
The sensor-packed garment can wirelessly and
remotely monitor a patient's heart activity and other
vital signs in real time over a prolonged period.
The device, developed by Israeli company Healthwatch, is
a sleeveless vest that has electrocardiograph sensors
woven into the fabric. It is also capable of recording a
range of other variables, including the patient's
respiratory rate, temperature and whether they are
moving, sitting or lying down. The data is collected in real
timeinapack built intothe vestandtransferredwirelessly
via a smartphone to a cloud based storage server. Once
there, doctors, researchers and the patient can view the
information on either a laptop or smartphone.
"It allows the cardiologist to have a really in-depth look at
their rhythms over a longer period - resting, at work, in
activity to see where there might be triggers for
arrythmias or cause for concern," said Maura Burke, Trials
Manager at the HRB Clinical Research Facility in Galway.
"Traditionally, most people if they are being investigated
for some sort of cardiac arrythmia or other issue, they
either come into hospital and are admitted to a coronary
care unit and wired up, or assesed in primary care with a
24-hour tape.
This garment allows them to really go unnoticed. You can
go about your daily business, go to work, you can play
football, go for a run. Any of the patients that have been
enrolled on the study thus far really have gone about
their daily business."
The trial in Galway is specifically using the vest to
explore the development of heart problems in patients
with diabetes.
"We know they suffer from cardiovascular problems,
heart problems," said Professor William Wijns,
Research Professor in Interventional Cardiology in NUI
Galway, who is leading the study.
"So we are trying to establish a link between glucose
control, glucose excursion, either too high or too low or
any abnormalities with the heart beat."
The trial, involving 100 people, will harness the power
of big data to analyse the huge amount of information
gathered for patterns or correlations. Over the course
of the week that each trial participant wears the vest, it
is estimated that 151,000 measurements are recorded
per patient.
The team is already thinking about other ways in which
the vest could be used in the future for further research
into cardiovascular disease.
"The availability now of these bio-sensors allows us to
have a second look at what might be the trigger of acute
events like stroke or heart attacks," said Professor Wijns.
"In the past this research has focused on populations.
Now we have the opportunity to look into individual
patients what might trigger a heart attack."
www.rte.ie | 23 Nov 2017
MGG014
Doctors, reaserchers and the patients can view the information on either a laptop or smartphone
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to the interview online
Can diabetes damage your heart?
Scientists at NUI Galway are using smart technology to
find out. They’re investigating using a vest which can
wirelessly monitor the heart from a distance. Our science
and technology correspondent, Will Goodbody, reports:
In a consulting NUI Galway Clinical Research Facility,
Trials Manager Maura Burke helps Gerard Quin put on a
vest: “It’s important to just close the four tabs first that
help put all electrodes into the correct position”.
But this is no normal undergarment. The black skin-tight
sleeveless vest made by Israeli firm HealthWatch is a
new wearable technology capable of wirelessly and
remotely monitoring the electrical activities in Gerard’s
heart over a long period.
Burke: It simply sits in this pocket here so that the patient
can continue with their daily routine.
Interviewer: That’s because it has dozens of sensors
woven into the fabric.
Burke: It collects all the data, live ECG, 24/7, of the
patient, and we can watch it live and from anywhere in
the world really. Traditionally, most people, if they’re
being investigated for some sort of cardiac arrhythmia or
other issues, they either come into hospital and are
admitted to a coronary care unit and [get] wired up, from
that to maybe being assessed in primary care with a
24-hour tape. Again, they go home, they’re connected,
there are wires hanging out from underneath their
clothes, etc. Whereas this garment allows them to really
go unnoticed. It can be worn very easily, you can go about
your daily business, go to work, you can play football, you
can go for a run, do any of these. Any of the patients that
have been enrolled on the study thus far really have gone
about their daily business.
Quin (trial participant): It is comfortable, yeah. At first it
looks a bit tight, but the material in itself is very, very
comfortable on the skin.
Interviewer: Gerard has diabetes and during the week
that he will wear it, the vest will capture 151,000
measurements including ECG, temperature, respiratory
rate and whether he is moving, sitting or lying.
Interviewer: That data will be uploaded continuously to
the cloud, allowing both the research team and Gerard to
look at it anytime, using a smart phone or laptop.
Interviewer: So, really, what are we looking at here?
Dr. Wijns: So this is the file that puts together all the data
from the vest and from the glucose monitoring.
Interviewer: The information will then be combined with
simultaneous glucose monitoring readings. Using big
data analysis technics, the research team will explore
connections between diabetes and the cardiovascular
system among trial participants, as Prof. William Wijns
from NUI Galway, who is leading the study, explains: “The
availability now of these bio-sensors allows us to have a
second look at what might be the trigger of acute events
such as stroke or heart attacks. In the past, this research
has focused on populations. Now we have the
opportunity to look into individual patients – what might
trigger, say, a heart attack. In the particular case of
patients with diabetes, we know that they suffer from
cardiovascular problems, heart problems, so we’re trying
to establish a link between glucose control – glucose
excursion either too high or too low – or any
abnormalities of the heartbeat”.
Interviewer: For patients like Gerard, such technological
developments have made it easier to have a normal life
despite having a serious, long-term illness like diabetes.
Gerard: “If any cardiac problems arise, it’s great to know
your cardiologist can be contacted or he contacts you. It
is incredible – I’m 40-years a diabetic now. When I
started out first, you know, we had none of this
technology. Over the decades, the 4 decades, it just got
better and better (the treatment) and the research
studies that go into it, so it’s great”.
Interviewer: This trial will continue for some time, but
already William Wijns and his team are looking beyond it
to other uses of the vest for research into cardiovascular
conditions, demonstrating the power of combining smart
wearable technology with the insights of big data.
Prof. Wijns: “It is showing us a direction that I think
healthcare is going to take in the next few years, that is to
empower the patient to own data and measurements
about their health and wellbeing. This gives you the
power to look at variations when in patients – what do
they mean, how important are the excursions – and we
can also compare the behavior of one patient to, you
know, a larger group”.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1 | 23 Nov 2017
MGG014
RADIO
This is no normal undergarment
Office: +972-9-7677039 | 23 HaTaas St., 4442500 Kfar Saba, Israel
E-mail: info@healthwatchtech.com | www.healthwatchtech.com