Abstract
Hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease (CKD) relies on vascular access (VA) devices, such as arteriovenous fistulas (AVF), grafts (AVG), or catheters, to maintain blood flow. Nonetheless, unpredictable progressive vascular stenosis due to neointimal formation or complete occlusion from acute thrombosis remains the primary cause of mature VA failure. Despite emergent surgical intervention efforts, the lack of a reliable early detection tool significantly reduces patient outcomes and survival rates. This study introduces a soft, wearable device that continuously monitors blood flow for early detection of VA failure. Using thermal anemometry, integrated sensors noninvasively measure flow changes in large vessels. Bench testing with AVF and AVG models shows agreement with finite element analysis (FEA) simulations, while human and preclinical swine trials demonstrate the device’s sensitivity. Wireless adaptation could enable at-home monitoring, improving detection of VA-related complications and survival in CKD patients.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 38 |
| Journal | Nature communications |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2025 |
Funding
This work made use of the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), the Keck Foundation and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. R.O. acknowledges support from NIH (R01CA257558, R01HL140951, R01DK130566, R01HL165176 and R01HL137193) and the Mayo Clinic Clinician Investigator Award. H.M.A acknowledges support from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health under Award No. F31NS115422. Y.D. acknowledges support from the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (23ZR1428600). A.S.C thanks the University of California and a UCSB Faculty Research Grant for financial support. We thank the Querrey-Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics for support of this work. The authors are grateful to Natasha Cao for editing and proofreading assistance. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Figures\u00A01 c, 6 a, and 7a were partly generated using Servier Medical Art, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified in PowerPoint. Figure\u00A01 a, b, and Supplementary Fig. 26a were created in BioRender. Carlini, A. (2024) https://BioRender.com/k53c078 and modified in PowerPoint. This work made use of the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), the Keck Foundation and the State of Illinois, through the IIN. R.O. acknowledges support from NIH (R01CA257558, R01HL140951, R01DK130566, R01HL165176 and R01HL137193) and the Mayo Clinic Clinician Investigator Award. H.M.A acknowledges support from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health under Award No. F31NS115422. Y.D. acknowledges support from the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (23ZR1428600). A.S.C thanks the University of California and a UCSB Faculty Research Grant for financial support. We thank the Querrey-Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics for support of this work. The authors are grateful to Natasha Cao for editing and proofreading assistance. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Figures c, a, and were partly generated using Servier Medical Art, licensed under CC BY 4.0 ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ) and modified in PowerPoint. Figure a, , and Supplementary Fig. 26a were created in BioRender. Carlini, A. (2024) https://BioRender.com/k53c078 and modified in PowerPoint.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Physics and Astronomy
