The iPhone Has Become Heart Healthy with iPhoneECG

New iPhone advancements in the medical arena never cease to amaze me. Soon, you will be able to send a personal ECG (Electrocardiograph, EKG) right to your doctor, all while sitting in your living room. Introducing, iPhoneECG, by AliveCor. The iPhoneECG application appears very easy to use. When you are ready to record your ECG, open the app and hold it on your chest. Immediately, your device will show the results. The app will record 300 samples per second in 16 bit data. When finished, the app will upload your ECG to the AliveCor servers, where it is converted into a PDF. It is then available for your physician to review, anywhere in the world. The app is universal, however the external hardware that is needed may vary depending on your device. Older iPhones and the iPad will need an iCard, which is the size of a business card and adheres to the iPhone with Velcro. It comes in black and red, and will work for several years before the battery needs to be changed. The iPhone 4 has a different hardware option, which is a snap on case that fits on the back of the iPhone. The case has electrodes built-in and the phone may either be held in your hand, or placed on your chest to record the ECG.

There is another application that is part of iPhoneECG; personal heart rate trending software. You can listen to a relaxation session through your headphones and visually see the benefits on your heart, from right within the app. Clinical studies have been done at the University of Oklahoma and AliveCor is getting feedback from some doctors in the US. These studies have been done to make sure this product will be considered a useful and accurate medical device. Before you get too excited and rush to your physician to pick up one of these nifty devices, it is not currently for sale. The iPhoneECG has not yet been cleared for sale as a medical device in the US and is still in the process of being approved by the FDA. AliveCor's slogan is quite clever, it's "mHealth for iHumans." That may just sum it up. I never thought of myself as an iHuman, but with all my iDevices, I may just fit the bill. I imagine many of you do as well. If you want to learn more about the iPhone ECG, check out the video below:      

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