80 Beats Medical is researching and developing an Machine Learning-based clinical decision support system for the early detection of hypertensive pregnancy disorders such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. The project “R&D of a clinical decision support system for hypertensive pregnancy disorders” is co-funded by the European Union through the Berlin ProFIT programme with resources from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Why it matters
Hypertensive disorders are among the most common complications in pregnancy and a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, preeclampsia affects up to 8% of all pregnancies. Left untreated, it can cause serious complications for mother and child, including organ damage, seizures and premature birth, and it raises the mother’s long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. Cases are also rising: in the US, the preeclampsia rate has more than doubled since 2010.
Today, hypertension in pregnancy is diagnosed almost exclusively through standard blood pressure measurements, so many cases are detected too late or not at all. More advanced methods such as laboratory biomarker or DNA tests are either not specific enough or too resource-intensive for broad use. What is missing is a simple, scalable and reliable way to identify at-risk pregnancies early.
Our approach
Our system builds on the VICORDER, a non-invasive device for measuring cardiovascular biomarkers. More than 1,000 VICORDER devices are in use worldwide, and it has supported around 100 scientific and clinical publications. With the new VICORDER, multiple cardiovascular biomarkers are measured quickly and comfortably using simple cuffs and sensors. Machine learning then combines these measurements with patient information and translates them into a clinically interpretable risk score.
What we are developing within the project
- A predictive model that brings together multiple data sources to estimate the risk of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension
- An early differentiation system that helps distinguish preeclampsia from gestational hypertension at an early stage
- A clinical decision support system that delivers a triage assessment in under a second and supports doctors in their decisions
Goals and expected results
- Early, non-invasive risk assessment for preeclampsia and gestational hypertension
- A clear, interpretable risk score that supports clinical decision-making
- A simple, scalable and cost-efficient solution that can move from research into routine clinical care
Our mission is to bring innovative digital biomarkers for earlier diagnosis wherever patients with cardiovascular disease are. With this project, we are taking an important step towards making pregnancies safer for mothers and children.
We thank the European Union and the State of Berlin for supporting this project.
More on ERDF funding in Berlin: www.berlin.de/efre
