AffeX Patient Management System - AffeX-PMS

血压升高（BP）或高血压是中风、心脏病发作、心力衰竭和心血管死亡的唯一最可预防的原因。它也是痴呆症和肾衰竭风险增加的主要因素。通过降低血压，相关残疾和死亡的综合风险可以降低一半以上。然而，尽管帮助降低血压的药物广泛可用，但约40%使用这些药物的患者未能正确控制血压（英国有250万人）。重要的是，对于这些患者，没有其他监管机构批准的治疗选择。研究表明，电刺激神经（自主神经）可以降低这些患者的血压。几家公司正在研究解决方案，所有这些都涉及侵入性设备和/或昂贵的医院手术。相比之下，Afferent开发了一种非侵入性地实现相同效果的解决方案。通过使用一种称为经皮自主神经调节的方法将电极连接到外耳的皮肤上，可以有效地降低血压。目前，玛丽女王大学伦敦（QMUL）正在进行临床试验。该项目将研究如何使这项技术更容易在家中使用，并管理患者，而不是让他们去看全科医生，远程管理他们的病情。由于我们正在使用电子设备，我们可以很容易地检查设备何时使用以及是否正确使用。如果我们也让患者使用家庭BP监测器检查他们的BP，我们可以使用互联网技术将这些信息发送给全科医生，他们可以查看患者是否正在管理控制，并建议是否需要改变治疗。该项目将建立一个计算机系统，使这一点，也是一个移动的应用程序，使病人可以自我监测自己的情况。我们相信这项技术可以帮助其他病人。90%的中风患者无法接受药物治疗来清除大脑中的血块，对于这些患者来说，没有其他药物治疗。我们认为，通过帮助恢复大脑缺氧部位的血液供应，Afferent的技术也可能帮助这些患者康复。我们在QMUL的同事将进行一项概念验证研究，以确定在到达医院时给予这种治疗是否有助于中风患者的康复。

Raised blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is the single most preventable cause of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and cardiovascular death. It is also a leading factor for an increased risk of dementia, and kidney failure. By lowering BP the combined risk of associated disability and death can be reduced by more than a half. However, despite the widespread availability of drugs that help lower BP, ~40% patients using these drugs fail to properly control their BP (2.5m in England). Importantly, for these patients, there are no other regulatory approved treatment options available. Studies have shown that electrically stimulating nerves (autonomic nerve) can reduce BP in these patients. Several companies are working on solutions, all involve invasive devices and/or in-hospital procedures that are costly. In contrast, Afferent has developed a solution which achieves the same effect non-invasively. By attaching electrodes to the skin of the outer ear using an approach called transcutaneous autonomic neuromodulation, BP can be effectively reduced. This is currently being tested in a clinical trial by Queen Mary University London (QMUL).Afferent's solution is low cost, very safe and patients can treat themselves at home. This project will investigate how we could make this technology easier to use at home and also manage patients rather than them visit their GPs to have their condition managed remotely. As we are using an electronic device we can easily check when the device was used and if it was used correctly. If we also get patients to check their BP using a home BP-monitor we can then use internet technologies to send this information to the GP who can see if the patient is managing control and advise if any change to treatment is needed. This project will build the computer system that will enable this and also a mobile app so patients can self-monitor their own condition.We believe this technology could help other patients. 90% of stroke victims are cannot be given medical treatments to remove the blood clot in the brain and for these patients there is no other medical treatment. We think Afferent's technology may also help these patients recover by helping restore the blood supply to the parts of the brain which have been starved of oxygen. Our colleagues at QMUL will undertake a proof of concept study to determine if giving this treatment on arrival at hospital helps stroke victim recovery.