KK Biomedical Engineering STEI ITB Together with the Private Sector Develop Early Detection of Cardiovascular Disease
The Biomedical Engineering Expertise Group, School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) developed a device to detect cardiovascular disease.
The tool named NIVA or Non-Invasive Vascular Analyzer was launched by ITB Chancellor Prof. Dr. Kadarsah Suryadi on Thursday, December 12, at CRCS ITB, witnessed by the Minister of Research and Technology/BRIN Prof. Bambang P. Brodjonegoro.
Prof.Dr.Ir. Tati Latifah Erawati Rajab Mengko as the head of the NIVA creation team explained that research on the tool had begun in 2013 using National Strategic Superior Research funds from DIKTI, Ministry of Education and Culture for three years.
"At that time, an idea emerged, spurred by a request from a doctor: whether we could create a device that could detect early symptoms of blockages in blood vessels," said Prof. Tati at the Ahmad Bakrie Building, ITB. Dr. Hasballah Zakaria, Dr. Richard Mengko, and the ITB Biomedical Engineering team also participated in the research.
NIVA, a non-invasive device using a PPG (photoplethysmograph) sensor and a blood pressure sensor, analyzes blood vessels within the human body. "This device is designed to measure vascular function using six parameters and the level of vascular risk using five parameters simultaneously," he said.
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Prof. Tati explained that blood vessel blockages usually occur due to plaque buildup within the blood vessels. This plaque forms because the blood vessels become less slippery due to a reduction in nitric oxide (NO). NO plays a crucial role in maintaining blood vessel flexibility.
He further explained that aging also affects NO production in the endothelial layer, the innermost layer of human blood vessels, thereby reducing blood vessel flexibility. This results in increased blood pressure, or hypertension.
Regarding blood vessel health, which is very expensive to treat, Prof. Tati said this equipment can help BPJS (Social Security Agency) detect the risk of stroke and heart disease. "Therefore, this equipment is expected to detect these diseases early. With this tool, if the parameter results are not good, we can immediately seek medical treatment before anything worse occurs," she said.
In collaboration with PT. Selaras, this device is ready for mass production to benefit the wider community. Currently, NIVA has been tested and used in two hospitals: Harapan Kita Heart Hospital in Jakarta and Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung. In the future, the device will also be tested at Airlangga University Hospital in Surabaya, Sardjito Hospital, and Gatot Subroto Hospital.
NIVA is an integrated solution for measuring blood vessel health. Through this collaborative approach with industry, production costs can be reduced. Furthermore, this equipment will be an effective screening tool to reduce the number of patients requiring medical treatment. It is also expected to reduce imports and boost the domestic industry's ability to produce various other medical devices.