New muscle analyzer system for sarcopenia

Evalan started the MAS project together with the Uppsala University in Sweden and the MUMC in Maastricht. During this project a muscle analyzer system will be developed that measures the density of muscles by means of microwave technology. With the measurement data from the muscle analyzer system, elderly people with sarcopenia can be better guided. In this project, Evalan focuses on the developments that are required to transform the microwave technology into a usable product.

The Medical Engineering Group (MMG research group) of Uppsala University has been working with microwave technology for healthcare applications for some time. The muscle analyzer system being developed during the MAS project uses this technology and focuses on sarcopenia, a disease that occurs with aging. Patients with sarcopenia have low skeletal muscle mass, function and strength. The disease affects 19.7 million patients annually in Europe, rising to more than 32 million by 2045 and accounts for an average of 2% of the total European healthcare budget. The muscle analyzer system serves as a solution for screening, diagnosing and monitoring muscle health.

Determine an intervention strategy earlier
As people get older, they lose their muscle strength. From the age of 25, each person loses about 1% of their muscle mass and strength. After the age of 60 this can even rise to 3 to 5%. Reduced muscle mass and strength has unpleasant consequences, such as increased dependence, premature disability, reduced quality of life and other adverse health outcomes. The muscle analyzer system tries to prevent this and enables healthcare professionals to determine an intervention strategy earlier. A major advantage of microwave technology is that it uses non-ionizing radiation, which reduces the risk of negative effects for patients. The ultimate goal is to use this device to support and improve this technology in healthcare.

Validation and production
The project was set up to further validate microwave technology and make it applicable for healthcare. Evalan focuses on the process from technology to product. Topics that are discussed are, for example: What information do the nurse and doctor want to see? What are the required functions of the system? How and how often is the system used? Which frequency range and intensity are optimal? Which area should be measured? How does this measurement relate to existing methods of diagnosing sarcopenia?

Henk Schwietert, CEO of Evalan, says of Evalan’s participation: “It is  interesting and important for Evalan to be involved in leading technological developments. This is an impressive new measurement technology that may be useful for healthcare providers. The technology can support elderly or rehabilitating patients in their care and recovery process and thus ultimately improve their quality of life. Furthermore, this project enables us to further expand our partnership with Uppsala University and MUMC.”