There are myriad exciting new wearable technology firms tackling health challenges to help people lead better and healthier lives. They are all facing significant challenges in all aspects of the business – technical development, clinical validation, regulatory affairs, productization and user adoption. Only a select few are getting enough of these right to have a chance at making impact, and if they succeed, they could change the paradigm of what constitutes good health and longevity. These could have a massive positive impact on people’s health and the quality of their lives.
Aktiia revolutionizes the process of Blood Pressure Monitoring
Aktiia is one of these select few companies. After more than 15 years of research and development, 5 clinical trials, 20+ peer-reviewed papers and more than 2 million measurements, Aktiia has developed the first reliable, cuffless, continuous blood pressure monitor on the market.
Co-founded by Josep Solà (CTO) and Mattia Bertschi (COO) in Switzerland in May 2018 out of a passion to create the best tool for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, Aktiia’s founders previously contributed to research and development at CSEM, the prestigious Swiss technology research institute.
Aktiia’s clinically validated optical blood pressure monitor represents a true paradigm shift in the ability to monitor blood pressure on a continuous basis. More frequent blood pressure measurements allow for more personalized treatment. 24/7 blood pressure monitoring unlocks important insights that can help doctors and patients build the best action plan for patient health.
The Aktiia Blood Pressure Monitor received its CE mark as a Class IIa medical device in January 2021, the first of its kind. With medical CE Mark, Aktiia now has access to over 40 countries worldwide. It was originally available for sale in the United Kingdom, is as of yesterday available in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Ireland, and is on a path to global distribution.
Understanding Blood Pressure is critically important to heart health
Heart disease is the greatest killer of human beings on the planet and has been for the past 20 years; it is responsible for 16% of total deaths. High Blood Pressure (also referred to as Hypertension) causes harm to the heart and blood vessels by making them work harder and less efficiently. It affects 1.3 billion people and is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes globally. It is the epidemic of our time.
High blood pressure is also referred to as ‘the silent killer’ due to that fact that in 50% of the cases people are not aware of their condition until it is too late. The ability to monitor blood pressure on a 24/7, 365 days a year basis, made possible by the Aktiia Blood Pressure Monitor, has the potential to revolutionize health care by harnessing the power of data to inform and engage people with hypertension and to enable physicians to deliver more targeted and timely care.
How the Aktiia Blood Pressure Monitoring Technology Works
Aktiia’s Optical Blood Pressure Monitoring (OBPM®) technology analyses photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals acquired at the wearer’s wrist to estimate blood pressure, with no pain or inflation. What makes their solution unique is its stability; it does not need to calibrated more than once a month, which is an impressive achievement for this type of technology.
Using the Aktiia Blood Pressure Monitor is easy. The user begins by initializing the device with the included cuff, this process is repeated once per month. The user goes about their daily life as normal while Aktiia measures blood pressure in the background. The user then syncs up the device with the Aktiia App to track blood pressure measurements over time. These measurements can be shared with their doctor. Lastly, the user can take action based on the insights gained from the blood pressure data and recommendations from their doctor.
More frequent blood pressure measurement allows for more personalized treatment by doctors. By understanding each patient’s individual patterns, a physician has more information to create a tailored plan in areas such as medication titration, chronotherapy, and targeted lifestyle interventions. Aktiia’s Technology can help doctors answer important questions about blood pressure such as these:
- Does your blood pressure decrease while you sleep?
- What is the impact of your diet, exercise, and stress on your heart health?
- How are your medications impacting your blood pressure?
- Are you within your target blood pressure range every day?
Aktiia has the funding to go to market with their solution
Aktiia has raised over $10 million in two rounds primarily from European investors, most recently with a $6 million round in March 2020. The funds will be used to bring their product to market as Aktiia pursues a Direct to Consumer distribution strategy.
The promise of continuous and accurate blood pressure monitoring has the potential to revolutionize heart health. It has been a long, arduous, more than 15-year-long journey for Aktiia to develop this technology. If it lives up to its potential, the journey will have been well worth it, as we believe that Aktiia’s blood pressure monitoring solutions will save lives. We congratulate them whole-heartedly, and wish them a successful market entry and long term success!
About BML Technology
BML Technology understands digital health. At the intersection of medical technology, clinical research and patient-centric healthcare BML drives the mainstream adoption of digital technology in healthcare. Offering a full range of services to the digital health ecosystem BML manages the complex stakeholder interactions necessary to get digital health solutions to market and gain adoption.
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