Versatile Mobile Heart Monitor Available for Smartphones

The AliveCor Heart Monitor is based on proprietary ultrasound technology that enables a clinical-quality ECG recording of the heart’s activity, while minimizing battery drain. The device attaches directly to the back of any compatible smartphone or smartphone case, using a universal attachment plate. Current Android devices supported are the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, and HTC One. Apple devices supported are the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 and the iPod touch 5. For those that prefer the Heart Monitor as a case, AliveCor offers such cases for the Galaxy S4 and for the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5.

To generate an ECG, the user rests the electrodes on the fingers from each hand; the app senses skin contact on the sensors and when an acceptable connection is made, and counts down to initiate the ECG recording. While the ECG records, it also displays heart rate; when the ECGs top 10 seconds, they are automatically saved in the app for review, and can be annotated with details or discarded. The AliveCor Heart Monitor is a product of AliveCor (San Francisco, CA, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and drug Administration (FDA).

“We have today extended the benefits of our mobile ECG technology to a new range of smartphones, significantly expanding customer access,” said Euan Thomson, CEO and president of AliveCor. “The AliveCor Heart Monitor is small, versatile, uses very little battery power, and can be used any time in almost any location.”

“From its early days, I’ve studied and published peer-reviewed research on the AliveCor device,” said Leslie Saxon, MD, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Southern California (USC; Los Angeles, USA), and executive director of the USC center for body computing, a digital health research and innovation center. “I think it is one of the more important technologies in recent years that enables large scale healthcare awareness and literacy.”

Related Links:
AliveCor
University of Southern California