A NEW optical device improves blood pressure monitoring and tracks cancer treatment by analysing light interactions with tissues.
Understanding how light interacts with living tissues forms the basis of innovations by Boston University’s Darren Roblyer and his team. In their Biomedical Optical Technologies Lab, they are developing tools that use light waves to monitor vital health metrics like blood pressure and cancer progression. This approach aims to overcome the limitations of current methods, which are often cumbersome, uncomfortable, or insufficiently precise for clinical use.
The team’s device, Speckle Contrast Optical Spectroscopy (SCOS), measures blood pressure continuously and non-invasively, using visible to near-infrared light. In tests involving 30 participants over several weeks, SCOS demonstrated a 31% improvement in systolic blood pressure prediction accuracy compared to photoplethysmography (PPG), with minimal errors (±2.88 mmHg systolic, ±2.14 mmHg diastolic). Meanwhile, a similar device is being tested for monitoring breast cancer treatment. It measures changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated blood cells to predict tumour response to chemotherapy or radiation. Early trials show promise in tailoring treatments to individual patients.
These technologies could revolutionise clinical practice by reducing reliance on invasive, disruptive, or less accurate tools. Cuff-free blood pressure monitoring could enhance hypertension management, while real-time tumour tracking could improve cancer care outcomes. Future iterations may allow home use, enabling patients to send data to doctors remotely. The team is also exploring applications in dialysis and autoimmune diseases, driven by close collaboration with clinicians to address unmet needs.
With continued testing and refinement, these optical innovations hold significant potential to transform patient care, making health monitoring more accessible and precise.
Katrina Thornber, EMJ
Reference
Garrett A et al. Speckle contrast optical spectroscopy improves cuffless blood pressure estimation compared to photoplethysmography. BioRxiv. 2024;608163.