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
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Wearable Technology Can Identify Heart Arrhythmias

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 15 Nov 2018
Print article
Image: The Apple Watch may soon detect AF and other arrhythmias (Photo courtesy of Stanford University).
Image: The Apple Watch may soon detect AF and other arrhythmias (Photo courtesy of Stanford University).
A new study will evaluate the ability of a smartwatch-based pulse algorithm to identify atrial fibrillation (AF) and guide subsequent clinical evaluation.

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine (CA, USA), Apple (Cupertino, Ca, USA) and other institutions have recruited 419,093 participants to a prospective, single arm study with the goal of measuring the proportion of study participants with an irregular pulse detected by the Apple Watch. If a sufficient number of episodes are detected, participant will be asked to undergo ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) patch monitoring, which will record their heart rhythms for up to a week. Enrollment, which was conducted through an iPhone app, is now closed.

Each participant in the study is required to have an Apple Watch (series 1, 2, or 3) and an iPhone. An app on the phone intermittently checks the heart-rate pulse sensor for measurements of an irregular pulse. The study will determine the percentage of participants receiving irregular pulse notifications that have AF on ECG patch monitoring; determine how many of those who received an irregular pulse notification go on to get medical attention; and to determine the accuracy of irregular-pulse detection by the watch, compared with the simultaneous ECG patch recordings. The study was published on November 1, 2018, in the American Heart Journal.

“The study has entered the final phase of data collection and will be completed early next year,” said senior researcher cardiologist Mintu Turakhia, MD. “We now have access to high-quality sensors that can measure and detect changes in our bodies in entirely new and insightful ways without even needing to go to the doctor, but we need to rigorously evaluate them. There's never really been a study like this done before.”

The Apple Watch’s sensor uses green light emitting diode (LED) lights flashing hundreds of times per second and light-sensitive photodiodes to detect the amount of blood flowing through the wrist. Using a unique optical design, the sensor gathers data from four distinct points on the wrist. Powerful software algorithms isolate actual heart rhythm sounds from other noise.

Related Links:
Stanford University School of Medicine
Apple

Gold Member
Real-Time Diagnostics Onscreen Viewer
GEMweb Live
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
EEG System
BRAIN QUICK

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: NTT and Olympus have begun the world\'s first joint demonstration experiment of a cloud endoscopy system (Photo courtesy of Olympus)

Cloud Endoscopy System Enables Real-Time Image Processing on the Cloud

Endoscopes, which are flexible tubes inserted into the body's natural openings for internal examination and biopsy collection, are becoming increasingly vital in medical diagnostics. Their minimal invasiveness... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.