Originally published on November 26, 2013
Singaporean medical device company HealthSTATS International has developed a new Android app that measures the pulse to detect erratic heartbeats using the smartphone's' built-in light and camera.
With each heartbeat, blood is sent to the capillaries, resulting in a subtle colour changes in the fingertips. When using the AF Detect app, the smartphone's light is used to illuminate capillaries in the fingertips, and the heart rate is calculated based on colour changes detected through the phone's camera.
The app can detect erratic pulse patterns that are indicative of atrial fibrillation. One of the most common forms of heart rhythm disorder, atrial fibrillation is caused by a dysregulated sinoatrial node that sends out irregular contraction signals to the heart ventricle.
Electrocardiograms are the most commonly used method to diagnose atrial fibrillation, but they are time-consuming and require the patient to be hooked up extensively to electrodes and other equipment. The app can provide a real-time pulse reading, and its data can be sent directly to doctors.
In trials conducted by HealthSTATS, two groups of 50 people were tested with the technology. Some 98 percent of cases of atrial fibrillation among patients were detected by the app.
AF Detect is currently available for Android devices for S$1.98 and is expected to be available for iPhones in January next year.
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