Roozbeh Jafari, PhD
Revolutionizing and Bridging Health Disparities
Roozbeh Jafari, PhD, a prolific researcher at Texas A&M University’s School of Engineering Medicine, is not only transforming the field of digital medicine with his innovative ring-shaped bioimpedance sensors but also actively addressing health disparities within underserved communities. His groundbreaking work, supported by an NIH R01 grant and featured in Digital Medicine (link to the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00796-w), has the potential to revolutionize blood pressure monitoring and improve healthcare access for all. The NIH grant is a collaborative effort with Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, Dean of School of Engineering Medicine and Dr. Thomas Ferris, associate professor in Industrial & Systems Engineering department at Texas A&M University. This project also marks a special milestone. This is the first NIH R01 that is awarded to the school of engineering medicine immediately after the research efforts of the school was kicked off.
Dr. Jafari passionately expresses, “Innovation should always align with inclusivity. Our technology is tailored for people of color and underserved communities, eliminating inequality at the very start of healthcare technology development. This commitment drives us to revolutionize blood pressure monitoring and bridge health disparities.”
Innovation in Wearable Health Tech
Dr. Jafari’s journey into the realm of wearable technology began with an important insight: smart rings have the potential to provide continuous measurements of critical health metrics. These rings are comfortable to wear, impose minimal burden on the user, and are ideal for capturing physiological data, even during nocturnal hours when other distractions and external factors can interfere with data accuracy.
At the heart of this research is the continuous measurement of blood pressure (BP), a vital parameter for diagnosing and managing cardiovascular health. Traditional ambulatory BP measurement devices rely on inflating cuffs, which are bulky, intrusive, and unsuitable for frequent or continuous measurements. These limitations have long posed challenges for healthcare professionals striving to provide accurate and unobtrusive monitoring of patients’ BP levels.
“Indeed, cuffless blood pressure monitoring has been a goal of the medical technology community for the last decade” said Roderic I Pettigrew, PhD, MD and Dean, School of Engineering Medicine. “In 2013, as then Director of NIBIB at the NIH, I signed an agreement with India to partner in developing such technology. While there has been some progress in this field, the bioimpedance ring is a notable innovation in its potential to democratize cuffless technology making it more applicable to a broader range of people.”
Dr. Costas Georghiades, the department head of Electrical and Computer Engineering expresses, “Devices for continuous monitoring of blood pressure and other vital signs will revolutionize health care. Coupled with machine/leaning and artificial intelligence algorithms to make inferences from the data, they will lead to the realization of precision and personalized medicine. Dr. Jafari’s leading edge work in this area paves the way toward realizing that goal”.
Transformative Steps Blood Pressure Monitoring
In response to these challenges, the team developed ring-shaped bioimpedance sensors that leverage the deep tissue sensing ability of bioimpedance without being sensitive to variations in skin tones, a significant advantage over optical modalities. Their innovative approach combines computational modeling, extensive experimental data, and machine learning algorithms to estimate arterial blood pressure.
The key to the success of these ring sensors lies in their design, which was refined through a unique human finger finite element model and experimental validation involving participants. The rings are fabricated in various dimensions to cater to individual finger sizes, ensuring an optimal electrode-skin contact for accurate measurements. In addition to guaranteeing high-quality contact, these rings use semi-flexible silicon material to enhance user comfort, encouraging long-term and nocturnal usage.
Each ring sensor features four small-sized silver electrodes, enabling non-invasive bioimpedance sensing. Furthermore, they are designed with the future in mind, as they can easily accommodate essential hardware components and a small computer inside the ring.
Bridging Health Disparities
What sets this work apart is his commitment to addressing health disparities within underserved communities. This research aims to validate a bioimpedance cuffless wearable blood pressure monitoring device using smart ring sensors in both standing and supine/sleeping positions within an underserved, self-identified African American and Latinx community in College Station, TX, and in Atlanta, GA, in collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine.
In an era where health disparities persist, particularly within marginalized communities, this research holds immense promise in bridging the gap. By focusing on an underserved community with a significant African American and Latinx population, this work highlights the commitment to equitable healthcare access and outcomes.
The Power of Bioimpedance
The work harnesses the potential of non-invasive bioimpedance techniques, which involve minimal electrical current stimulation applied to the skin through contact electrodes. This methodology allows for the measurement of a comprehensive set of physiological parameters, including heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, muscle movements, and hydration level. It’s a holistic approach to healthcare monitoring that can provide valuable insights into overall well-being.
Bioimpedance’s unique ability to penetrate deep into the body distinguishes it from optical modalities, making it an ideal choice for comprehensive healthcare monitoring, particularly in diverse populations.
Conclusion
This groundbreaking work is poised to make a profound impact on healthcare by revolutionizing blood pressure monitoring and addressing health disparities within underserved communities. The innovative bioimpedance ring sensors offer a solution to the discomfort associated with traditional BP measurement devices, ushering in an era of continuous and unobtrusive monitoring of cardiovascular health.
Moreover, the team’s commitment to inclusivity ensures that this technology benefits individuals of all skin colors, eliminating the notion of inequality in healthcare technology development. This visionary approach underscores the true impact of innovation when combined with a dedication to social responsibility.
With the support of the NIH grant and recognition in Digital Medicine, this pioneering work promises to transform the lives of countless individuals and contribute to a more equitable and accessible healthcare future for all.