blood pressure Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

80-cent device prototype uses smartphone to monitor blood pressure

A 3D-printed device that clips onto a smartphone can take blood pressure readings. [Photo courtesy of University of California San Diego]

University of California San Diego engineers have prototyped an inexpensive device that clips onto a smartphone to monitor a user’s blood pressure.

The 3D-printed device uses the smartphone’s camera and flash paired with an algorithm on an app to take systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.

“We’ve created an inexpensive solution to lower the barrier to blood pressure monitoring,” study first author Yinan (Tom) Xuan, an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student at UCSD, said in a news release.

Xuan published the team’s findings this week in Scientific Reports with senior author and electrical and computer engineering professor Edward Wang, who’s also director of the UCSD Digital Health Lab.

“Because of their low cost…

A closer look at Urovant’s vibegron blood pressure study

In recent years, regulators including FDA have increased their focus on the potential of drugs to cause blood pressure increases. To that end, the agency asked Urovant (Irvine, California) to study the impact of the beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist vibegron on blood pressure.

The study, recently published in the Journal of Urology, found no significant change in blood pressure among either vibegron or placebo recipients. There were 96 patients in the vibegron group. Another 101 received placebo. “The good news was that the changes in blood pressure were trivial — on average less than one millimeter of mercury,” said Dr. Michael A. Weber, a professor of medicine at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in New York, who was involved in the study.

Weber recently summarized the results at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association.

FDA approved vibegron in late 2020. In addition, the agency approved another beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist…

Urovant shares positive data at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association

Urovant Sciences (Irvine, California) is upbeat about the prospects of beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist Gemtesa (vibegron) in treating overactive bladder (OAB). This week, the drug was featured in two presentations at the virtual American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting.

Historically, the primary treatment for OAB involved a type of anticholinergics known as muscarinic receptor antagonists.

In 2012, Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) won FDA approval for Myrbetriq (mirabegron), the first beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist for OAB to hit the market. More recently, Urovant, a subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd., won FDA approval for Gemtesa (vibegron), another beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist, which became commercially available in April.

Anticholinergics used for OAB can have bothersome side effects such as dry mouth and constipation, said Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, chief medical officer at Urovant. Such side effects lead many patients…

Midmark wants to make blood pressure readings more accurate: Here’s how

The Midmark IQvitals Zone allows caregivers to centralize vital signs acquisition at the point of care. [Image courtesy of Midmark]

Midmark (Dayton, Ohio) has added a Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) BP Protocol for its IQvitals Zone vital signs device.

The systolic blood pressure (BP) measurement protocol, based on the SPRINT trial conducted in 2015, is meant to enable better blood pressure readings through proper patient positioning and minimizing interruptions.

“The SPRINT BP Protocol is the next step in helping caregivers standardize accurate and consistent BP measurements at the point of care — and Midmark is the first company to implement a SPRINT protocol with patient positioning guidelines in a vital signs acquisition device to help ensure the protocol is being followed,” said Kurt Forsthoefel, marketing director of medical products and services at Midmark.

“When the SPR…