MEMS-Based Hemodynamic Monitoring for Advanced Heart Failure Management

Abstract

Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic disease where heart function worsens over time resulting in symptoms of shortness of breath, fluid accumulation, and frequent hospitalizations. CardioMEMS™ is a medical device designed to measure Pulmonary Artery (PA) hemodynamics to guide medical therapy. The MEMS-based wireless pressure sensors are permanently implanted using minimally invasive catheters and transmit blood pressure and heart rate data to an external electronics system. Device effectiveness was proven by a randomized clinical trial, where guided therapy using CardioMEMS™ resulted in a 33% reduction in HF hospitalizations during an 18 month follow-up. Future challenges include making hemodynamic monitoring a medical standard of care for advanced heart failure management.