We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GC Medical Science corp.

Download Mobile App




New Apple Watch Includes Built-in ECG

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Sep 2018
The latest iteration of the Apple (Cupertino, CA, USA) Watch, the Series 4, includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, officially classifying it as a medical device capable of alerting its user to abnormal heart rhythms. More...
The new smartwatch was revealed at the recent September 2018. Apple iPhone launch event.

To obtain an ECG, users touch and hold the side of the watch while it sends an electric current through the chest to the opposite hand; after 30 seconds, the device measures heart rhythms using electrodes built into the back of the sapphire crystal and the digital crown. The sensor classifies them, alerting the user if there are signs of atrial fibrillation (AF). The watch also intermittently analyzes heartbeats in the background for irregularities, or if pulse exceeds or falls below a specified threshold. All data recordings and any noted symptoms are stored in the watch’s Health app in a PDF file format that can be shared with physicians.

Additional health features include fall detection, which works by analyzing wrist trajectory and impact acceleration. If needed, the Watch will initiate an emergency call. If it senses the user is immobile for one minute, it will automatically call and send a message to emergency contacts using the native SOS feature. Other improvements include enhanced fitness and health tracking, walkie-talkie mode, a breath feature to guide breathing for meditation, and more. An app unlocking the wrist-based ECG functionality will be available to consumers in the United States in late 2018.

“We’re thrilled Apple Watch has become an essential part of people's lives,” said Jeff Williams, chief operating officer at Apple. “The completely redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 continues to be an indispensable communication and fitness companion, and now with the addition of groundbreaking features, like fall detection and the first-ever ECG app offered directly to consumers, it also becomes an intelligent guardian for your health.”

“We’re enthused by what we see currently happening in digital health. Recent product approvals and clearances have given consumers and providers access to powerful technologies that have the potential to advance the delivery of health care,” commented FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD. “We know that our actions will help encourage the development of incredibly innovative products. We hope to see health care adopting more and more disruptive technologies that positively impact people’s lives.”

While retaining its original design, the fourth-generation Apple Watch includes a 30% larger display, which is seamlessly integrated into a thinner, smaller case, with a new user interface that provides more information with richer detail. The Series 4 runs on watchOS 5, which provides advanced activity and communications features, a new accelerometer and gyroscope which measures up to 32 g forces, and an electrical heart rate sensor that has been granted a De Novo classification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Class II medical device.

Related Links:
Apple


Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
New
Patient Monitor
IntelliVue MP5SC
New
Steam Sterilizer
AMSCO 400 Series
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to HospiMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Hospital Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of HospiMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of HospiMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of HospiMedica International in digital format
  • Free HospiMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: New clinical guidance suggests treatments to prevent blood clots in CLTI patients after leg artery procedures (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Stronger Blood Clot Prevention Measures Needed After Leg Artery Procedures in High-Risk Patients

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), the most severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD), significantly reduces blood flow to the legs and feet. Despite undergoing lower limb revascularization... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The milli-spinner can shrink blood clots without rupturing them (Photo courtesy of Andrew Brodhead/Stanford)

New Technology More Than Doubles Success Rate for Blood Clot Removal

In cases of ischemic stroke, where a blood clot obstructs oxygen supply to the brain, time is critical. The faster the clot is removed and blood flow restored, the more brain tissue can be saved, improving... Read more

Business

view channel
Image: A research collaboration aims to further advance findings in human genomics research in cardiovascular diseases (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Bayer and Broad Institute Extend Research Collaboration to Develop New Cardiovascular Therapies

A research collaboration will focus on the joint discovery of novel therapeutic approaches based on findings in human genomics research related to cardiovascular diseases. Bayer (Berlin, Germany) and... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.