Smartphone and wearable devices help diagnose preeclampsia

The technology is being developed at Purdue University, Indiana with the help of a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Led by Craig Goergen, an assistant professor in Purdue University’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, the team is working to combine smartphones, a conventional inflatable blood pressure cuff, and a wireless accelerometer to build a prototype that detects preeclampsia before it develops.

According to Purdue, the most innovative aspect of the device is its use of the supine pressor test, which measures whether a woman’s blood pressure increases when she changes position from lying on her left side to lying on her back. If the diastolic pressure increases enough, it is a warning sign that a woman is susceptible to preeclampsia.

“This is a device that women are going to be able to use at home with a minimal amount of training,” Goergen said.