Home electrolyte test:
Empowering patients with heart or renal failure to manage potassium imbalances.
What is KaliumForMe?
KaliumForMe is a point of care testing device (POCT device) for rapid determination of the potassium concentration in capillary blood for patient self-testing during home care.
Our device will enable millions of patients to perform home electrolyte tests. Potassium is an important risk factor in patients suffering from heart and kidney insufficiency and diabetes.
Million adults are affected with heart failure worldwide.1
%
Of patients with heart failure reportedly develop dangerously elevated potassium levels (hyperkalemia). 2
Million patients worldwide, are affected with chronic kidney disease. 3
%
Of patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney desease under stable nephrology care develop hyperkalemia.4
“Our data support the need for regular potassium measurement to identify patients with heart failure at risk of serious clinical outomes and death.” 2
Reimar Wernich Thomsen, MD, PhD
“Potassium monitoring should be individualized; increased frequency of monitoring should be considered for patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, or a history of hyperkalemia and for those receiving RAASi therapy.” 5
Biff F. Palmer, MD
“I do have diabetes with left-sided heart failure and have already been diagnosed with hyperkalemia several times. My doctor has informed me about the risks of hyperkalemia. I am now very worried about my state of health and I am eating a low-potassium diet. I find it particularly difficult to limit my fruit and vegetable consumption. It would be a great relief for me if I could determine my potassium concentration myself at home.”
Anonymous Patient
Self monitoring of health status for chronic heart or kidney insufficiency
Clinical Need
We will improve the management of chronic diseases!
Patients suffering from heart or renal failure have only limited options to monitor their health status at home. Many of these patients feel insecure about their health status, and are advised to adjust their diet to potassium rich, or potassium poor diets, low in vegetables and fruits, when at risk for potassium disorder.
Potassium is an important electrolyte, and among other functions responsible for heart function. It is not produced by the body, but ingested by food, and cleared from the body by the kidney.
Dysregulation of potassium levels in the blood may be caused by impaired kidney function and is further affected by medication and nutrition. This is asymptomatic and may result in arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. Accumulation of potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, is diagnosed in roughly 30% to 50% of patients with chronic cardiac and/or kidney insufficiency.
We will improve patient’s quality of life!
To the best of our knowledge, until today, potassium can only be measured during scheduled ambulatory patient visits and using qualified laboratory equipment.
With the introduction of potassium measurement at home, we expect a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients.
Patients do not know how their medication affects potassium levels, whether the low-potassium diet is working or whether there is even a risk of hypokalemia.
For these reasons, many patients are fundamentally concerned about their heart function.
News
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Further informationSolution
KaliumForMe
- We develop a point of care testing device (POCT device) for patients at risk for potassium derailments, to measure and monitor the potassium concentration by simple means, routinely, self-reliant and at home
- We realize a device for rapid testing using minimal invasive measurement using a drop of capillary blood
- We build our device on an already pre-developed sensor technology6,7 for home application
Innovation – Home electrolyte test
- A product for potassium monitoring at home is not prevalent on the market
- Our optical technology indicates high selectivity for potassium and a fast sensor response time
- Our technology is already clinically proven for glucose measurement in critical care medicine
- Our technology offers cost-efficient production options
- We develop our prototype sensor applying industrial scale processes
About Us
We are an enthusiastic, well-established, experienced and committed team dedicated to helping, patients our community and driving innovation.
Dr. Andreas Fercher
Dr. Martin Ellmerer
CFO / Business Development
martin.ellmerer@elyte.at
Dr. med. Julia Mader
Chief Medical Officer
julia.mader@elyte.at
Dr. Stefan Köstler
Supporting Partners
Austrian promotional bank
Preseed – Deep Tech BMAW aws
Project Nr. P2400319
Seed – Deep Tech BMAW aws
Project Nr. P2450524
Austrian promotional bank
Preseed – Deep Tech BMAW aws
Project Nr. P2400319
Seed – Deep Tech BMAW aws
Project Nr. P2450524
Austrian Research promotion agency
FFG Basis
Project Nr. FO999904434
Steirische Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
Project Nr. 1.000.072.336 und 1.000.072.346
References
1 Ziaeian B, Fonarow GC. Epidemiology and aetiology of heart failure. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2016;13:368–378. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4868779/
2 Thomsen RW, et al. Elevated Potassium Levels in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure: Occurrence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Outcomes: A Danish Population-Based Cohort Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 May 22;7(11).; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6015368/
3 Bikbov B et al. Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet 2020; 395(10225):709–33.; https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30045-3/fulltext
4 Provenzano M et al. Competing-Risk Analysis of Death and End Stage Kidney Disease by Hyperkalemia Status in Non-Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Receiving Stable Nephrology Care. J. Clin. Med. 2018, 7, 499; doi:10.3390/jcm7120499 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6306758/pdf/jcm-07-00499.pdf
5 Palmer BF, et al. Clinical Management of Hyperkalemia; Mayo Clin Proc. March 2021;96(3):744-762 https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)30618-2/fulltext
6 Aberer F et al. Accuracy and stability of an arterial sensor for glucose monitoring in a porcine model using glucose clamp technique. Sci Rep 10, 6604
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63659-4
7 Mader JK et al. Feasibility of Blood Glucose Management Using Intra-Arterial Glucose Monitoring in Combination with an Automated Insulin Titration Algorithm in Critically Ill Patients. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2019 Oct;21(10):581-588. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31335205/
Contact
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