First non-invasive device to estimate vitamin K insufficiency risk
VitaK Innovation in Life Science, a Maastricht University spin-off company, has launched the Vita K Meter, the first non-invasive device for monitoring the risk of vitamin K insufficiency. Vitamin K2 has an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease. About 40% of the population is at risk for clinically detectable harm caused by vitamin K insufficiency. With the new device healthcare providers may quickly assess a patient’s risk profile.
In numerous scientific papers VitaK has previously demonstrated that increased vitamin K2 intake may promote public health and contribute to a decrease of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Vitamin K2 mainly occurs in cheese and curd. By developing innovative devices, VitaK intends to help optimizing public health. These “Point of Care” devices support real-time decision making by healthcare providers without involving, for instance, a clinical laboratory.
The Vita K Meter is clipped on the fingertip and accurately analyses the vascular condition within 2 minutes. Its working mechanism is based on the Accelerated PlethysmoGraphy (APG) technology, with which the pulsations of the blood stream in the microvasculature of the skin are used to assess the vascular characteristics. VitaK Innovation in Life Science is the owner of the patent application by which APG is also linked to the vascular vitamin K status (patent application PCT/EP2016/053696).
“Being world’s largest research and knowledge center in the vitamin K area, VitaK has a long history in investigating of the vital importance of vitamin K2 for preventing cardiovascular disease”, says Mehrdad Omidvar, CEO of VitaK. “Our research team is dedicated to take a leading role in developing point of care devices for cardiovascular disease monitoring in integrated healthcare. To this aim VitaK, together with important strategic partners, is also developing the VITA METER, a device combining a variety of specific assays helping general practitioners and other healthcare providers to obtain real-time information needed for a quick and correct diagnosis”.
Also read
-
Led by our researcher and geneticist Masoud Zamani Esteki, researchers at Maastricht UMC+ and GROW developed a technique that can analyze the entire genome – all genes and chromosomes – in a single test. This allows a faster and better determination of which embryos are suitable for a successful pregnancy. This research project has been published in Nature Communications this week. Watch this video to find out how there's now a bridge between two seemingly different fields, as well as a new form of PGT has been coined thanks to this research. Visit Zamani Lab for more information.
-
Ahead of the European elections, there are concerns about the state of democracy and rule of law in Europe. In the Netherlands, it is a concern hanging around the formation table. For a long time, Poland seemed to be heading in the same direction as Hungary, but since last October's elections, the tide seems to have turned there. The most important lesson we can learn from Poland? Democracy is not made in the voting booth, but on the streets.
-
All in all, when reading about the farmers' protests, few people will have thought "this is good news for the EU. And yet the farm protests might well be just that.
