Valencell, a well-known wearables components-maker has announced the availability of the world’s first calibration-free blood pressure (BP) sensor system for integration in hearables and wearables.
Soon we will be able to measure the blood pressure using the earbuds itself.
The technology can recognize hypertension with 89% accuracy, which is more accurate than comparable technologies available today
Blood pressure is a global health tragedy. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people around the world have hypertension.
High blood pressure kills tens of millions of people every year and is a significant risk factor for stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
High blood pressure costs over $50 billion dollars every year just in the US. Some experts say that number could be over $1 trillion globally.
And what makes high blood pressure so alarming is that it shows no physical symptoms until it’s too late. That’s why it’s often called the “silent killer”.
Valencell’s this breakthrough technology uses only photoplethysmography (PPG) and inertial sensors – no ECG, pulse transit time or other sensor modalities are used. It allows someone wearing an earbud to get accurate BP readings throughout the day, for example while they are at their desk at work, listening to music, or watching television, all without the hassle of putting on a BP cuff.
The BP technology does NOT require calibration of any kind. Only 4 physical parameter inputs are required: height, weight, age, and gender. The technology enables in-session blood pressure measurements with the subject at rest
It’s been tested with more than 30,000 data sets in more than 4,000 subjects around the world, and it’s currently being validated in a clinical study to demonstrate it meets the ISO standard.
Valencell now has evaluation kits available for device makers to independently test and validate the technology.
News Source: Valencell
