Mobile and web apps for monitoring Chronic Kidney Disease at home

About the project

Nowadays, 1 in 10 people suffers from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). As the population ages, CKD is set to be the fifth leading cause of death by 2040. What’s the solution to easy and reliable monitoring of symptoms and health state of the patient? Enter RenaMed.

RenaMed is a point-of-care solution designed for at-home CKD monitoring. It combines screen-printed-based sensors, a mobile app for patients, and a web app for healthcare providers (HCPs), creating a seamless ecosystem for continuous care.

This revolutionary project aims to improve patients’ quality of life, facilitate HCPs’ decision-making, allow personalised treatment, and decrease healthcare costs.

What does our client need?

The RenaMed project is divided into two parts, which are carried out by the international consortium.

1. A hardware device named Renalyser – a compact device that allows patients to measure blood parameters from the comfort of their home. Much like a glucometer, patients perform a simple finger prick. The Renalyser then analyses levels of creatinine, potassium, and hemoglobin. This part is being carried out by Renalyse themselves.

2. Mobile and web apps for patients and doctors – patients will be able to automatically collect their blood test results from Renalyser on the mobile app. It will be allowed thanks to the Bluetooth connection. Finally, collected data will be shared with HCPs, allowing for seamless doctor-patient interaction. This task has been entrusted to us, Revolve Healthcare.

What are our plans?

We have a step-by-step plan to bring the RenaMed project to life. What are the following stages?

1. Integration of sensors and equipment – we will develop a communication protocol that will allow data exchange between the hardware and the software platform, which we aim to develop in the later stage of the process. This protocol will be designed with a strong focus on ensuring data confidentiality and integrity.

2. Development of the platform for HCPs – development of a software platform will involve leveraging cloud-native architectures, microservices, and AI-driven automation to enhance scalability and adaptability. It emphasises user-centric design, rapid prototyping, and continuous integration to deliver seamless, future-ready digital experiences. During this stage, we will focus on developing a safe app that meets the requirements of IEC 62304.

3. Designing an algorithm to detect Atrial Fibrillation (AF) – we will develop a machine learning algorithm capable of assessing whether there is a correlation between ECG and the patient’s kidney disease. The algorithm’s performance and accuracy will be validated using the MIT database, in compliance with EN 60601-2-47 standard.

4. Development of the platform for patients – we want to develop a mobile app and cloud-based infrastructure for collecting and managing health data from RenaMed device. The app should be available on both Android and iOS, ensuring broad accessibility for patients. We will make sure that the app has an innovative and user-friendly interface to support ease of use for individuals of all levels of digital literacy.

5. Integration of the mobile app with the Renalyser – using the custom API and the communication protocol we’ve developed in the first stage, we will connect the hardware and mobile app via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This will enable efficient, real-time data transmission between the hardware and the mobile platform.

6. Design of an algorithm to predict the severity of CKD – we will develop a machine learning algorithm which, based on biomarkers collected from the RenaMed device (and other patient’s characteristics), will estimate future CKD status. 

7. Pre-clinical design and UX validation – we will subject the created systems to feedback and evaluation in order to improve them based on information from end users (including nephrologists and patients). This process will ensure the platform meets clinical needs while remaining intuitive and user-friendly.

By the end of the project, we aim to have a solution that is safe and easy to use by both patients and HCPs. Our solutions will provide patients with the possibility of conducting regular and effortless check-up’s while HCPs will get a software platform that enhances data comprehension by transforming complex datasets into intuitive visual formats. Thanks to this they will be able to quickly identify trends, anomalies, and performance insights.

While developing every element of the project, we will document it, aiming for transparency and traceability demanded by Medical Device Regulation and In-Vitro Device Regulation.

Program name: Innovative SMEs – 4th Call (Eurostars-3 Call 4)
Task name: Innovative platform for monitoring and diagnostics of Chronic Kidney Disease in home healthcare [acronym: RenaMed]
Grant amount: PLN 2,286,529.74
Total value: PLN 2,858,162.17
Agreement signing date: November 2024