Smart watch could help prevent cardiac deaths

Israel-based Oxitone has created a wristwatch that measures heart rate and blood oxygen levels, delivering the data instantly to medical professionals.

While the BodyGuardian RMS has enabled doctors to track the health of those with heart conditions remotely with its Bluetooth chest patch, Israel-based Oxitone has now created a more comfortable wristwatch that does a similar job, measuring heart rate and blood oxygen levels and delivering the data to medical professionals.

Pulse oximeters are critical in quickly determining whether a patient is getting enough oxygen and has a regular heart beat, and are a common sight in hospitals and emergency situations. However, they usually require wires and clip awkwardly onto patients’ fingers, meaning they aren’t ideal for constant monitoring. The Oxitone watch is designed to be wearable for any activity and alerts the user when its reading shows an abnormal heart rate or oxygen levels drop, enabling them to seek medical help. The device also has a Bluetooth connection, which can sync the data to smartphones, allowing doctors to also receive alerts for their patients and send emergency help if needed. The video below explains more about the Oxitone watch:

The Oxitone has applications in potentially preventing cardiac arrests as well as diagnosing other health problems such as sleep apnoea and helping anyone to quantify their own wellbeing. Are there other medical devices that could be reduced to a wearable form?

Spotted by: Murray Orange