Funded by NIH, Grant No.: 1R43GM079030-01
Patent No.: US 7,113,817 B1

The Need

The most common cause of death among hospitalized patients in noncoronary intensive units is sepsis. Among patients who acquire sepsis, the fatality rate is 29%.

The Idea

CW Optics proposes a new imaging technique for real-time, quantitative measurements of blood velocity in humans to provide information on sepsis. Using a small, hand-held design, the instrument will be able to provide noninvasive and frequent monitoring of blood velocity. Early detection of sepsis, as well as monitoring of its progression, will allow health care providers a better chance at treating a septic patient.

The Science

Recent studies have demonstrated that septic patients exhibit altered sublingual ("under the tongue") blood flow. There is also ample evidence for a correlation between the severity of these alterations and survival rate. CW Optic's projected device would be able to measure this blood flow and therefore provide information on the severity and progression of sepsis.

The Bottom Line

Despite interventions to curtail the incidence of sepsis, more than 800,000 Americans are affected each year. This amounts to 250,000 deaths per year and a cost of $16.7 billion. A device such as that proposed by CW Optics could potentially decrease the incidence and mortality of sepsis, as well as bring down the associated health care costs.