Apple is said to be working on EKG Heart Monitor for Its next-gen Apple Watch as a part of including resourceful features in the smartwatches according to a report from Bloomberg.
A version that is being tested requires users to squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with two fingers of the other hand which then passes an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect for any abnormalities. The wearable is aimed at tracking the heart continuously for a few days at most unlike electrocardiograms or EKGs and ECGs that monitor the heart’s activity for short periods.
Apple is aiming at advancing the sensors to predict future afflictions, rather than just collecting historical data about the body. As this is still in early stages, it may change anytime and the company might even include an upgraded sensor in future products or maybe not. Apple back in November had announced a research initiative into irregular heart rhythms with Stanford Medicine for which Apple’s head of special health projects Michael O’Reilly serves as a professor of anesthesiology.
Participants of the study download an app that uses the Apple Watch’s existing heart rate monitor to identify potential irregularities and if abnormalities are spotted, the user is offered a free video consultation with a doctor from telehealth provider American Well Corp. The data collected from the research will help Apple in better detecting any abnormalities and support EKG project as well.
Current Apple Watch users can already buy an EKG made by AliveCor Inc. that is built into the watch’s strap. Many portable EKGs that work with smartphones have been available for several years now.