We are developing and testing a portable device which aims to allow clinicians to assess fluid levels in a patient’s circulatory system rapidly and accurately. Researchers led by Dr Darrel Francis have developed a computer system called Quantivol, which automatically analyses ultrasound signals to assess a patient’s blood volume status.
The Imperial cBRC has funded a multidisciplinary team which spans medicine, engineering and cardiovascular science to integrate the Quantivol technology into a portable hardware platform.
At present, there is a range of conflicting clinical assessment techniques for measuring fluid volumes. The only technology currently available which measures volume status reliably and non-invasively are complicated echocardiography devices, which less than one per cent of doctors are to trained to use.
The Quantivol system allows any doctor to obtain a blood volume measurement within minutes, without any specialist training. The system guides the doctor to correctly position an ultrasound probe, so that he or she can obtain an accurate reading.
Dr Francis said: ““We hope Quantivol becomes a generic tool used all over the Trust, from the emergency department, to intensive care, medical wards, dialysis units and heart failure clinics.
“If it proves successful in our upcoming trials, we would like it to be available to all clinicians as part of a protocol to eliminate the guesswork from volume status assessment and prevent life-threatening delays in diagnosis and treatment.”
