Pharmaceutical & medical
technologies for the inline flow measurement of drug powders and fluids to improve quality and yield in pharmaceutical production.
CardiovasCular disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality globally1
. The measurement of
blood flow and tissue perfusion is critical to diagnosis, risk stratification, monitoring and treatment of disease. More specifically, there is clinical impetus for identifying reliable, accurate and precise non/minimally invasive methods for assessing haemodynamics, as well as the systemic blood flow of both large vessels and microvasculature, the latter being important in regulating local tissue perfusion and blood- tissue exchange. Accurate and time-saving non-invasive
haemodynamic monitoring is an aspiration of modern cardiovascular metrology. This pivotal area of clinical research and practice demands innovative technologies to reduce complications, as well as improve morbidity, mortality and the profound socio- economic burden associated with cardiovascular diseases. For example, there is currently a lack of
understanding of the pathophysiology of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFPEF) and the precision and accuracy of existing tools for non-invasive measurement of systemic vascular flow and haemodynamics. With around half of total heart failure cases due to HFPEF, a statistic which is rising, better understanding of the pathophysiology of this less-well recognised form of heart failure is vital. Presently, angiography is the gold
standard for blood flow quantification. However, it is an invasive procedure involving catheterisation, bringing with it risks for the
Instrumentation Monthly June 2021
patient. Current non-invasive options are limited by their exposure to ionizing radiation, temporal and spatial resolution and accuracy, with some methods deviating by up to 20 per cent from the results of catheterisation. According to UK Research and Innovation
(UKRI), imaging is now the dominant form of analysis of molecules, cells and tissues across the life sciences2
. Developments in bioimaging
tools and techniques may provide insight into the pathophysiology of poorly understood conditions such as HFPEF and lead to better detection, monitoring and therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, improved early detection and treatment of disease through improved non-invasive medical imaging methods falls within one of six major societal challenges in the next 10 to 20 years where
medical and biological engineers can contribute to solutions, as identified by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)3
. There is an evident role for the inclusion of
flow metrology in the R&D of new and evolving diagnostic and therapeutic innovations. This will improve quality, reproducibility and comparability through the provision of reference procedures, materials and data, and deliver traceability to standards. Currently clinicians rely predominantly
upon qualitative assessment of imaging scans as the basis for making diagnoses and complex decisions regarding treatment regimens. Only through building capability to make quantitative measurements with non- invasive imaging modalities, reproducible and traceable to relevant new standards, will the
Continued on page 16... 15
[1] World Health Organization - Cardiovascular Diseases - May 2017 [2] UKRI - Infrastructure Roadmap Progress Report – March 2019 [3] AIMBE - Medical and Biological Engineering in the Next 20 Years: The Promise and the Challenges – July 2013
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