KV-PREDICT Diagnostic Device in Patients With Heart Failure

Overview

This is a pilot, single-center, non-invasive interventional study evaluating the performance of KV-PREDICT, an investigational diagnostic medical device (Class IIa, not CE-marked), in adult patients with heart failure. During a single scheduled outpatient visit, the device is placed externally on the chest, over clothing, and records a single-lead ECG together with cardiac mechanical vibration signals for about 10 seconds. The study assesses whether the device can acquire signals of adequate quality and reproducibility to allow extraction of mechanical and electromechanical cardiac parameters (such as systolic and diastolic time intervals and the amplitudes of mechanical vibrations corresponding to the heart sounds S1-S4). The study does not aim to support clinical decisions, does not change patient management, and does not evaluate the diagnostic or predictive performance of the device. About 120 patients across NYHA functional classes I-III and different left-ventricular function profiles will be enrolled. No direct clinical benefit to participants is expected; anticipated risks are minimal given the non-invasive, brief procedure.

Background and rationale Heart failure is a chronic condition in which periodic clinical assessment is important for follow-up. Non-invasive tools that can be used quickly during routine outpatient visits are of interest as a complement to established assessment methods. KV-PREDICT is an investigational diagnostic medical device (Class IIa, not CE-marked) developed to acquire cardiac electrical and mechanical signals non-invasively. Before any evaluation of clinical or predictive performance, it is first necessary to confirm that the device, in its current prototype configuration, can reliably acquire signals of adequate quality across patients with different degrees of heart failure severity. Objective and nature of the study This is a single-center, non-invasive, interventional pilot study of exploratory nature. Its purpose is limited to assessing the feasibility, quality and reproducibility of the signals acquired by KV-PREDICT. The study does not evaluate the diagnostic or predictive performance of the device, is not designed to support any clinical decision, and does not modify the clinical management of participants in any way. Study conduct Eligible patients are enrolled during a scheduled outpatient follow-up visit, after providing written informed consent. Each participant undergoes a single, brief signal-acquisition session performed with the device applied externally to the chest, over clothing, without any invasive procedure and without interfering with the standard clinical visit. No dedicated follow-up visits are required for the purposes of this study. Data handling and analysis The acquired signals are used exclusively for research purposes and are analyzed offline, after the acquisition session, outside the clinical setting. No automated interpretation or clinical output is generated by the device during the visit. Analyses are descriptive and exploratory, consistent with the pilot nature of the study. Expected value and risks No direct clinical benefit to individual participants is expected. Because the procedure is non-invasive and brief, the anticipated risks and burden for participants are minimal. The results are intended to inform the subsequent development of the device.