Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US have developed a wearable device aimed at providing early detection of dialysis access point failure.
The Beacon device will undergo pilot testing with patients in Illinois later this year.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The wearable utilises non-invasive ultrasound technology to track blood flow through the access point used by dialysis patients.
The system is designed to alert clinicians if blood flow is reduced, potentially indicating the risk of access failure.
It is worn once a day, and its accompanying software analyses the gathered data, sending real-time notifications to medical staff if issues emerge.
Auvi Labs, which originated as part of a med-tech initiative at Carle Illinois and the university, plans to carry out initial pilot testing locally as it prepares the device for regulatory review.
Auvi Labs co-founder Dr Richie Li began developing Beacon as part of his Capstone Innovation project at Carle Illinois.
Li said: “Patients were routinely presenting to the emergency department, unclear as to when their fistula had thrombosed, or found in clinic to have nonfunctioning fistulas.
“The Beacon device was designed as an early detection tool to catch fistula failure far before thrombosis. Our system does the surveillance for the patient. It does not rely on external operators or trained ultrasound technicians to provide flow measurements.
“The dream is that more fistulas make it to maturation, fewer patients need indwelling catheters, and there are fewer emergency department visits and more prompt, elective interventions.”
Auvi Labs CEO Rishab Veldur said: “Our technology has matured to the point where it can make a meaningful impact in the real world.”
Pilot studies are set to begin at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.
The company aims to bring Beacon to market in 2028.
