Apple Working on EKG Heart Monitor for Future Apple Watch Models

[xyzzy]

If this really was a "continuous electrocardiograph" it would be a game changer, but it measures "electrical activity of the heart using two fingers on either side of the device." Maybe they have other versions that don't require that which would be really cool, but if you have to do this, it can't be continuous because no one will be doing that continuously.
....
Realtime medical tracking enables many things, let's hope the FDA's red tape doesn't kill it or delay it very long. Perhaps one band on one side with the watch and something else (a 2nd band?) on the other wrist or elsewhere.

It's also worth noting that this (like the Kardia) is a one-lead rather than a twelve-lead EKG. It's fine for assessing heart rhythm, but for the other major use of EKGs (detection of cardiac hypoxia or early signs of heart attack) it's not going to be terribly useful. A third (!) sensor would be needed for a 6-lead EKG.

 

[jerry333]

"A version being tested requires users to squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with two fingers from the hand that's not wearing the device, one of the people said."

How would you squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with fingers from the hand that's wearing the device?

 

[dzankizakon]

How would you squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with fingers from the hand that's wearing the device?

You take the watch off the hand, squeeze it with the same hand while holding it in the other hand, and then put it back. Easy.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I thought people were pissed at Apple for a "form over function" approach, yet you are arguing to change the form for purely superficial reasons...

I’m reserving judgement until I see the Jony Ive EKG app, with two words floating in white space: “heart”, which if you hold your bare armpit flat against for 45 seconds finds your heartbeat 1/3 of the time and dials your secretary the other 2/3, and “maps”, which provides you with your position on a dark green squiggly line on a dark green background of a map that doesn’t load which takes you to the nearest hospital, or fish market. In the corner, there will be three dots, which if you tap and hold on, will bring up a pop up window half of which is off the screen, and one of the options is “status”, which will then tell you your Apple Watch battery life, Apple Pencil battery life, and Apple ECG reading of your heart, which if you tap on it, will think about it for 6 or 7 minutes and display “you are dead” with a race and gender appropriate emoji of a frowny face.

 

[nordique]

An ECG using two fingers?

Won't be a true ecg in that case

You need the correct leads to create the vectors
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It’s pretty clear that adding an EKG would require FDA approval...
Also, as most users would not have the training to interpret their EKG there would have to be some sort of software analysis. Judging by the expensive hospital ekgs I use, software analysis is very frequently inferior or downright wrong compared to a well trained physician’s interpretation. I’m not saying software couldn’t do it, but it currently isn’t good enough. And I’m not aware of Apple running large trials to leapfrog past the current industry leaders in software based EKG analysis. Perhaps users could pay for a subscription to a remote telemetry service, although even this would result in a huge number of false positives.

Anyways, personally I’d love my Apple Watch to have an ekg (and continuous glucose monitoring). Can’t wait to see what they come up with.

I agree, no software analysis will be able to predict much beyond a supraventricular or ventricular arrythmia

But it's a bit misleading to the general public if it's advertised as an ECG. You need to create the vectors appropriately and I don't see how placing two fingers on a watch would do that, unless it is purely for arrythmias (something apple has mentioned at wwdc if I'm not mistaken)

 

[Partron22]

Wrist ekg's are tricky.
Apple's going to have to find and use the right alloy, and we might still end up having to shave our wrists.
Band tightness might also be a major downside.

 

[DaveN]

That's a band.

I think the idea of having the EKG equipment in the band. That way the watch isn't tied to FDA approval and only the band needs certification.

 

[cmChimera]

I think the idea of having the EKG equipment in the band. That way the watch isn't tied to FDA approval and only the band needs certification.

But then you can’t use the feature without a specific band.

 

[DaveN]

But then you can’t use the feature without a specific band.

But not all the people want that feature. You don't want to delay an entire product line to wait for FDA approval.

 

[cmChimera]

But not all the people want that feature. You don't want to delay an entire product line to wait for FDA approval.

Then don’t use the feature if you don’t want it. There isn’t any indication that they’ve delayed anything.