How can a smartphone measure your heart?
How can a smartphone detect signs of disease in your heart? The answer lies in the motion sensors of a modern smartphone.
Little did major tech giants such as Apple and Google know that the device they produce in the billions could one day be utilized for at-home detection of heart diseases.
So, what about those sensors?
Over 10 years ago, researchers in the University of Turku, Finland, got curious about whether the motion sensors of a smartphone, the gyroscope and accelerometer, could be utilized in measuring heart motion, and perhaps aid in detecting heart diseases like atrial fibrillation. The results were astonishing: in clinical studies, this method was found to have 96% accuracy in detecting signs of atrial fibrillation.
An algorithm specifically designed to analyze this motion and atrial fibrillation characteristics does the analysis and provides you with immediate results. Today, this technology powers the CardioSignal application as a class IIa medical device.
Since this invention, dozens of research articles and studies in collaboration with prestigious academic institutions have taken place to further develop the technology. See a list of our key scientific publications here.
Why measure the motion?
As a result of long-term academic research, measuring heart motion has a sound scientific foundation in cardiology. Several types of human heart diseases cause different types of abnormalities in cardiac motion. Motion sensor technology provides means to detect these abnormalities.
What happens during the measurement?
While the smartphone is on your chest for those 60 seconds, the two motion sensors of your smartphone measure the micro-vibrations caused by your heart motion. This motion data gets sent to our secure cloud service for analysis. Results are available immediately, whether signs of atrial fibrillation were detected or not.
Never to diagnose
CardioSignal cannot diagnose your condition, it can only alert you to seek further medical assistance. Suspected atrial fibrillation should always be confirmed by a healthcare professional, who will make the diagnosis according to the care guidelines.
The value of CardioSignal in early detection is the combination of accessibility and reliability. CardioSignal can be helpful in capturing an elusive atrial fibrillation episode because your smartphone is likely close by. Capturing an atrial fibrillation episode at the doctor’s is tricky because it might not appear in a routine ECG recording.
With regular measurements, you maximize the possibility of detecting atrial fibrillation. This is important even if you are feeling well, as atrial fibrillation can present with mild or no symptoms.
What are the future clinical applications?
The CardioSignal team is currently researching the following clinical applications for future development:
- Heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Aortic stenosis
- Pulmonary hypertension
- QT time
Please note that the CardioSignal application is not yet able to detect any other cardiac conditions than atrial fibrillation.
