Design of peripheral edema measurement device for home use

Due to improvements in cardiovascular care, more patients are living longer but ultimately developing heart failure. It is important for patients with chronic conditions, like heart failure, to self-manage and monitor their symptoms. One symptoms that can be indicative of worsening heart failure is peripheral edema. Therefore, we present a concept for a HeartSMART system capable of edema measurement in the home with remote connection to and feedback from providers. The goal of the system is to provide a tool for heart failure patients to manage their disease. The work presented herein describes the system design and preliminary testing using simulated edema models. The system uses displacement and force sensors and mimics the gold standard finger indentation performed by care providers. The results for the edema models (foam) show increasing displacement with edema severity.