The U.S.' aging population is growing in number and is becoming a potential market for health-related apps and devices. Understanding that being able to track one's heart condition through a mobile device can be a life-saving activity, startup companies have sprung up with new products designed to help patients with health problems.
One of these startups is AliveCor which received the FDA approval in detecting serious heart conditions as revealed in electrocardiogram (ECG) readings which are taken from a mobile device. The FDA-approved company says that it has created a type of algorithm that can detect atrial fibrillation using a smartphone-compatible heart monitor device.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of abnormal heart rhythm and is usually associated with chest pain, fainting, palpitations, or congestive heart failure. Atrial fibrillation affects about one in four adults belonging to the age bracket of above 40. Once the heart-monitor device detects an abnormality, the situation can be intervened by a physician before stroke or other life-threatening event is experienced by the patient.
The device is designed to fit a wide range of smartphones. It is used by placing it on a patient's finger or on his chest in order to track an ECG.
"Atrial fibrillation is very hard to identify," says chief executive Euan Thomson of AliveCor. "A large group of people have it, but don't know they have it."
The other startup company is Vital Connect which received a nod for its patch. Dubbed as the "HealthPatch MD," patients can use the patch to track biometrics by attaching it to one of the three areas on their chest. The biometrics result can be viewed on a mobile device.
The band-aid sized patch is embedded with sensors which aid it in tracking pulse variability, skin temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, steps, "fall" tendency detection and more.
The unique feature of Vital Connect is the way it puts the data in context. It understands that a person's health condition can also be affected by the type of situation he is in. For example, a spiked heart rate when the person is lying flat in bed needs immediate attention. However, it is deemed as a typical occurrence if the person has been exercising or has suffered from a fall. By opting through the patch, physicians can get notified as soon as the patient hits or goes beyond the allowed thresholds.
The "HealthPatch MD" of Vital Connect will hit the U.S. market towards the end of the year with the possibility to hit Europe and Canada. The device can be acquired with a doctor's prescription.
Likewise, the algorithm from AliveCor will be incorporated in an application and shall be available to consumers in September.
