Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one of the most prevalent, complex and fatal diseases worldwide. As the population ages, the prevalence of PAD continues to increase taking on the proportions of a global burden of disease.

In Germany alone, approximately 2.3 million people suffer from PAD, resulting in exorbitant costs for the national health system. Endovascular recanalization with balloon angioplasty and stenting are the therapies of choice that result in favorable patency rates.

The timeliness of revascularization is crucial as delayed treatment increases the risk of major surgery, including amputation. Today, treatment is delayed due to inadequate referral between specialists, limited health care provider infrastructures especially in rural areas, and – perhaps most importantly – unrecognized disease progression by the patients. METATRON is a wearable, non-invasive sensor device placed on the calf of PAD patients.

After initial setup with a vascular specialist, the patient needs to actively utilize the wearable for only a few minutes each week. The system reliably detects deterioration of limb perfusion, serving as an “early warning system” for worsening PAD. With growing use, we aim to analyze perfusion patterns using a dedicated machine-learning algorithm in order to detect PAD deterioration before it manifests.

METATRON is powered by an experienced and highly motivated interdisciplinary team of interventional radiologists, sports and data scientists with complementary core competencies and a shared understanding of how to improve the management of PAD patients. The team has a broad network of international research partnerships within industry, academia, and hospitals.