Researchers at UBC have been awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant to create a wearable optical sensor that detects sudden cardiac arrest.
Building on hemodynamic monitoring technology—previously developed by UBC Orthopaedics’ Dr. Babak Shadgan to study spinal cord tissue hemodynamics—this innovation aims to empower individuals to recognize cardiac arrest in real-time, allowing for faster emergency response treatment and potentially saving lives.
The CIHR Project Grant Program supports health-related research projects that have the potential to significantly advance knowledge, healthcare, health systems, and health outcomes in Canada.
Dr. Shadgan, an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and a principal investigator at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), became involved in this research through a collaboration with Dr. Brian Grunau, an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UBC.
“Drawing on my expertise in monitoring organ hemodynamics using wearable and implantable optical sensors, we proposed developing a customized wearable optical sensor system for real-time monitoring of vital signs and early detection of cardiac arrest.”
—Dr. Babak Shadgan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Principal Investigator at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)
Dr. Shadgan’s previous research focused on the real-time monitoring of spinal cord hemodynamics, using implantable near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensors in collaboration with Dr. Brian Kwon and monitoring surgical free tissue transfer hemodynamics in partnership with Dr. Donald Anderson. His works prompted him to expand the application of the technology beyond orthopaedics and reconstructive surgery, to investigate the use of optical sensors to monitor systemic hemodynamics related to cardiac function.
The interdisciplinary project team has since grown to include the following principal investigators:
- Dr. Katie Dainty, Qualitative Social Scientist at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto
- Dr. Calvin Kuo, Assistant Professor at the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering
- Dr. Mypinder Sekhon, Head, UBC Division of Critical Care Medicine
Next steps for the team will include developing a wearable wristband sensor using non-invasive optical technology, specifically NIRS, to monitor cardiac pulsation and tissue oxygenation in real-time from the user’s wrist.
They will also create a diagnostic algorithm for the accurate detection of cardiac arrest. The sensor system will connect to a smartphone app to alert paramedics of the patient’s location and condition, allowing them to provide lifesaving care.
The project team believes that widespread use of the system could significantly enhance outcomes for cardiac arrest in the general population, especially in instances of unwitnessed cardiac arrest and among high-risk groups, by using a small wearable sensor.
Learn more
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announcement: Real-World Validation of Machine Learning Algorithms for a Wearable Cardiac Arrest Detection System
- UBC Faculty of Medicine: UBC Medicine researchers awarded more than $40 million from CIHR to lead transformative health research
