External Mechancial Heart Valve Monitor

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Everyone,

My friend Cardio-Star sent me this information and I found it very interesting, especially for those of us with mechanical valves.

Please read and check out the site.

Hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to spring!

Rob

****************


CardioSignal

February 2003


A new external monitor has been designed and developed to improve the security and quality of life (QoL) of patients with artificial heart valves by quickly noting any deviations in the valve's performance or thrombotic deposits on the valve and indicating these to the user.

Thrombotic deposits can lead to life-threatening complications. Blood recognizes the foreign surface of an artificial heart valve and coagulates there, trying to form a clot (thrombus) as in an ordinary wound.

The monitor senses this development or any other abnormal valve behavior immediately by examining the typical clicking noise made by the valve and determining its structure.

The "click" consists of many oscillations that gradually fade away.
The click changes when the frequency of the signal shifts, which occurs as soon as coagulated deposits are made on the valve or any mechanical change occurs in the valve. All suspicious signals are indicated to the user.

The device, called ThromboCheck features integrated software that is based on modern electronics and digital signal processing (DSP).

The monitor produces no side effects, is relatively inexpensive, and is user-friendly.

Doctors can easily instruct their patients on how to use the monitor to check their valves as they do with other devices already on the market.


English web pages

http://www.cardiosignal.de/index_en.html

Click on:

Product

Information

 

[Perrster]

Interesting Technology

Interesting Technology

Rob, are you gonna git one?

Perhaps you could see if the Germans will send us one to "test" on our members at the Chicago Reunion? Perhaps, even better, Gina's Cardiologist (who, I believe she is trying to get to speak to the group) can get one a little easier?

I've got a feeling if we took in a print out off the website about this instrument, our Cardio's would say "it's the same thing as our Echo tests." However, if such a tool is very inexpensive, we clickers could sure use any added insurance and self-test more often than a once-a-year Echo.

Cool stuff. Thanks for posting it.

Regards,

 

[Les]

This is too cool...I want one! I think the cardio boys ( at least mine) would dismiss it as a toy for the "lay-person". However, it would be nice to periodically see how we're clickin"... heck, it's OUR valve! I have sent an email inquiry regarding price and possibility for an individual to get one because I know my med insurance would toss this out... Thanks for the info Rob!__________________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Les,

Glad you inquired about the cost. I was going to do that later, so since you have already inquired, please post the cost info when you get it.

It sure is exciting to find more tools to help us manage our well-being. Hmmm I wonder if the QAS folks would be interested in taking this item on for sale in the USA?

Take care,
Rob

 

[ShezaGirlie]

Thanks Rob for the interesting info...

I just emailed Dr. Andreas Brensing who is the GM of the company. I invited him to join our forum and post some info for all the mechanical valvers here.

Sure hope he does...as I also mentioned that we would most likely have questions regarding his company's new product.

 

[DickV]

Rob, agreed.

I also sent the info. to my cardiologist asking if he has ever heard of this device. Sounds like it is fairly new to the market.

 

[Rain]

I want one!

I want one!

I can't wait to read the feed back you guys get back from them.

Thanks Rob!!

 

[alicia]

Wow Rob, Thats incredible! What a find. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[terry40]

Rob

Rob

What a great device, from all that I've read about mechanical valve, clots on the valves are the main source of valve failures.

Please keep us updated with additional info.

Thanks,
terry40

 

[Zipper]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for sharing that here! Good things may come to us with new technology and possibly new Meds! We can hope these become commonplace in the near future!

Looking foward to any updates on this!

Zip/Joan

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Rob,

Many thanks for the information! Amazing. Try to get a sample for the reunion!

I don't see my cardioligist until June. Will try to get his thoughts. His particular practice is involed in clinical trails at Mayo, CCF and a few other top facilities.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi rob!
thanks for this info. just emailed this page to my dad who has a st. jude's.
how fascinating!
be well, sylvia

 

[DickV]

Rob, I just got a fax in from my cardiologist on this machine. Below is his response.

"Never heard of it. I'm suspicious that by the time sound frequency characteristics change it might be too late."

Be interesting to hear what other cardiologists have to say about it.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Dick! Great to see you posting. Drop me an email when you have a moment.

I feel the concept is nice. Would I purchase one???... probably not. TMI. I agree with your cardioligist's statement.

Would rather keep an eye on my INR and continue to be followed with an echos.

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Gina,

I know that a change in sound characteristics means a clot has already started on the valve, But, as the information on the site mentions, You may detect this prior to the clot enlarging to a point that the valve malfunctions with grave consequences.

This device is new to me as well as everyone here. Hopefully between those of us that are interested, we will find more info that can be shared as to wether this divice could be another useful tool in our arsenal of self managing our health.

Hope all that snow in Chicago melts soon...

Rob

 

[John Cochran]

Healthy skepticism

Healthy skepticism

Any device that could detect an impending valve problem and save lives and/or avoid strokes would be tremendously valuable. However, I am skeptical of this particular device for the following reasons:

1) mechanical valve failure, although exceedingly rare, is usually almost instantaneous, and not caused by clots;

2) this device, which measures the acoustic profile of the valve, depends on a clot or build-up sufficient to cause either a difference in the oscillitory properties of the valve, or a build-up at the edges of the valve which would impede the way it closes. Since a clot can form and break loose in a matter of hours, how would it be detected without constant monitoring? What if the clot is small and does not affect the oscillitory properties?

3) Would users be lulled in to a false sense of security, with less attention paid to blood monitoring?

4) Last, but certainly not least, where are the clinical trials? Where is the engineering data about sensivity, number of "false positive" and "false negative" readings?

A final thought is that a person's blood pressure is not constant--it varies throughout the day. Would this device be accurate at all BP levels? Also, the chest wall is an acoustic barrier. Slight changes in muscle mass and fat would change the acoustic transmissibility of the chest wall, perhaps affecting the accuracy of the device.

This may some day be a good approach, but without published clinical trials and all the above questions answered, I remain skeptical of the benefits. I would love to see hard data that changes my mind.
--John

 

[Mb]

I am So glad you posted this.

Count me in as one person who would be most interested in additional information.....and the cost. - Marybeth

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Great post, thanks for putting it up here, Rob! I also wonder about some of the physics involved here..I know my own valve sounds change from day to day..they sound different to me. I also know that my cardiologist spends a lot of time during my exams listening to the "quality" of the sound of the valves, so for him there must be some value in doing it on a "snapshot" basis. Don't know if this is applicable in all cases.

Anyway, an interesting development that definitely bears watching. Thanks again.

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Johnny,

I hope we can find out more about this device. Also, I wanted to comment about the visits I have with my cardiologist.

When I visit him, he also spends much time listening to my heart valve with his stethescope and he always comments that it " STill has a good "Crisp" sound. Now, it dawned on me that this sound is exactly what this device monitors.

MY valve also sounds different to me, or feels different to me during the course of the day, sometimes stress, or other forms of excitement. I am beginning to think that the sounds we hear or feel are not necessarily the real exact sound of the valves opening and closing that one would hear using a stethescope. Pure speculation here, but I think it may be true.

Anyway, I hope that those of us that have requested further information, share it on the site, including the comments from their doctors. I would not rule this device out yet, and as you know from other posts here, there are some doctors that even doubt the accuracy and use of home testing INR equipment. Sometimes lack of knowledge from our doctors really displays itself in their remarks.

At this point in time, I remain neutral on this monitor until more information is available.

Only 12 more days till spring!!! or was that 13.. oh well.. blame that on the heart lung machine.
\
Rob

Rob

 

[Zipper]

Really excellent, intelligent discussion on this!

Zip/Jo