For point of care (POC) in a low-resource clinic or assessment of wounded patients in the field, there is a need for a portable handheld battery-powered instrument that can assess cardiac function.

Although the electrocardiogram (ECG) is widely used for monitoring the heart and diagnosing certain types of heart disease, the ECG cannot measure mechanical cardiac function.  We are developing a mobile microwave doppler probe that can record and analyze the mechanical motion of the heart and detect abnormalities.  We call this device the Microwave Cardiogram or MCG.   The signals produced by the MCG are similar to an M-mode echocardiogram trace.  This device is conveniently powered by the mobile phone itself and can be used through clothing, which is a significant advantage in providing medical assistance in the field for disaster relief or battlefield first aid.  Our device has being tested in the Sengupta Research Hospital in Nagpur, India.

Students: Niccolo Pignatelli, John Mofor

Collaborator: Partho Sengupta (Director, Ultrasound Cardiac Research, Mt. Sinai Hospital, NY)

Sponsor: MIT TATA Program