Austin, Texas – Austin Heart Hospital just completed an initial study of a system aimed at improving care for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

The study is testing the Fire 1 system for remote cardiac monitoring of CHF patients like Donna Whitworth, 76, of Austin.

Whitworth was diagnosed with CHF four years ago due to a leaky mitral valve. Even though her doctors replaced her valve, she still suffers from CHF and she was hospitalized twice last April.

Fire 1 is a bendable, implantable sensor that is inserted into the abdominal vena cava and expands or contracts based on the patient’s fluid status.

Fire 1 is a bendable, implantable sensor that monitors a patient’s fluid status, sends a signal to a waist-worn device, and sends information to a Wi-Fi connected computer. (Tue 1)

“Fluid retention can make you feel short of breath when you exercise. You’ll notice fluid buildup in your abdomen, and your legs, feet, and ankles may also swell,” Whitworth says. “Last spring, I felt very restless and worried whether I would ever be able to leave the hospital. I don’t feel that way anymore.”

Whitworth made history last June when the Air Force veteran and former nurse became one of the first patients to participate in the Fire 1 study, which began at Austin Heart Hospital and has since expanded to other locations. left behind.

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“If we can think of heart failure patients as being in a constant volume state, we want to optimize them. We don’t want them to become congested or dehydrated. “We want our patients to be like Goldilocks,” said Dr. Kunjan Bhatt, a cardiologist and heart failure specialist at Austin Heart Hospital.

The Fire 1 is a bendable, implantable sensor that is inserted into the vena cava in the abdomen and expands or contracts depending on the patient’s fluid status, Bhatt said.

If a patient has fluid buildup, the device expands and sends a signal to another device worn on the waist, which sends information to a Wi-Fi-connected computer to alert doctors to the problem.

“If a patient starts to get congested, if the fluid status seems to be changing unfavorably, we change the medication to remove the fluid. And that’s usually a water pill, We call it a diuretic,” he said. bat. “This allows us to proactively avoid the issue of periodic readmissions that heart failure patients can have.”

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For Whitworth, who hasn’t been hospitalized since developing Fire 1, it means peace of mind. “It gives me so much peace of mind to know that they are watching me so closely every day,” she said.

Dr. Butt said the first study was completed in February with positive results.

“This was a feasibility study to see if the device works as it should and if it’s safe,” Dr. Butt said. “And of course, both answers are true.”

Whitworth says she is proud to be a part of something that can change and potentially save lives.

“Well, I have a pioneering spirit. And I like to help people. I was a nurse for over 30 years, so in addition to helping myself and my health, I also like helping others. I also want to be able to help people.’ At the end of the day, I like doing that,” she said.

The device is not commercially available at this time as it still needs to complete several testing stages before applying for FDA approval.