Biospectal uses biosensing software on its smartphone device, OptiBP, to monitor blood… [+] It measures blood pressure and makes it easier for people with high blood pressure to gauge their heart health.
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The American Heart Association reports that nearly half of adult Americans, 48.1%, or 119.9 million people, have high blood pressure. Globally, 1.28 billion adults between the ages of 30 and 79 have high blood pressure, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That's more than 30% of the adult population, according to the WHO report. Fewer than half of adults with hypertension are diagnosed and treated, and only 21% have it under control.
High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure.
A blood pressure cuff is the traditional way to measure blood pressure. Smartphone blood pressure apps traditionally estimate blood pressure using a variety of data points, including finger pulse. These apps help consumers track blood pressure over time, but they cannot measure it.
Swiss start-up Biospectal has launched a new blood pressure app for smartphones, called OptiBP, which uses biosensing software to measure optical information from blood flow beneath the skin.
According to Eliott Jones, CEO and co-founder of Biospectal, OptiBP uses a smartphone camera to measure blood pressure from the fingertip.
“Once calibrated with a cuff, users can use the phone itself to measure their blood pressure whenever and wherever they need to,” Jones said. “It's so much more convenient than carrying a cuff around!”
Beyond the cuff
Biosensing
The global disposable blood pressure monitor market size is estimated to be around $269 million in 2022 and is expected to reach $851 million by 2032. High prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases is driving the market.
But Biospectral is a software app, which Jones says makes this new way of managing blood pressure more scalable than other hardware-related blood pressure measuring devices.
“From a user perspective, not having yet another device to manage/charge/wear is a huge improvement to the user experience,” Jones said. “Plus, the app on their phone allows them to share information with family and physicians, which helps with our ultimate goal of helping physicians achieve better clinical outcomes.”
The OptiBP app is currently available for Android in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France and complies with the European Union CE MDR regulations for medical device certification. However, the app is only available in the United States for testing and clinical investigations, with distribution planned for 2025.
For CE Mark certification, Jones says the OptiBP app has achieved clinically accurate levels that comply with an improved version of the ISO 81060-3 standard for blood pressure monitors to suit the company's new optical technology.
“While it's currently slightly less accurate than traditional cuffs, our algorithms are living things and can only benefit from ongoing data collection and training — and algorithms love data,” said Jones. “In the world of continuous glucose monitoring, we're seeing similar acceptance as a valuable tool to help manage diabetes — a more accessible, continually improving solution.”
Jones said the fingerprint login feature was replaced by a mobile phone camera that captured a “video” of blood flowing through the fingertip.
“OptiBP includes instructions to help users keep their finger position accurate as they record, and the recording screen provides real-time feedback to help users learn how OptiBP works,” says Jones. “Another great thing about being software-based is that we can continually update the user interactions and assistive elements of the software.”
Jones says this will allow them to gather user feedback and statistics and update the app in a more user-centric and responsive way.
Quantified Self 2.0
“We're focused on creating the best possible blood pressure health outcomes in the short and long term,” Jones said. “Chronic conditions like high blood pressure worsen over time and can lead to serious health problems and shortened lifespan.”
With that problem in mind, Jones says the company wants to help patients become more educated about their illnesses and better connect with the people who help them manage their health: relatives, doctors or both.
“OptiBP definitely falls into the quantified self-measurement category because it gives users a much more accurate picture of key vital signs than traditional cuffs,” Jones said, “but OptiBP aims to foster better dialogue and collaboration with physicians through more frequent measurements, leading to greater adherence.”
“OptiBP's goal is to help deliver whole-patient care by engaging users in their health management,” he added. “This will enable more personalized, precise and predictive care.”
