Doctors, the WHO and the CARDIS

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death today, responsible for around 30 per cent of the total global figure. Using a technique known as laser Doppler vibrometry, the CARDIS (CARdiovascular disease Detection with Integrated Silicon photonics) picks up some of the signs associated with common CVD conditions such as heart attacks, strokes and coronary heart disease.

The device measures the Doppler shift of a reflected laser, building up a vibration map of the chest and heart area. According to the team behind the CARDIS, this map can highlight the warning signs of CVD, such as plaque build-up, arterial stiffness, arterial stenosis and heart dyssynchrony.

“Our device employs the latest photonics technology, allowing a user to make measurements of the vibration characteristics of the heart without even touching it,” said project coordinator Dr Mirko de Melis

“A stiff artery creates a faster pulse pressure from the patient’s beating heart. By measuring the ‘pulse wave velocity’, we can assess the stiffness of the arteries using light and make informed judgements, long before the onset of cardiovascular disease.”