A Wristwatch That Monitors Blood Pressure
By Singer, Emily; Technology Review,Publication Date: June 30, 2011
Article features a wireless device that is worn as a wristwatch to monitor blood pressure continuously. The BPro G2 device was developed by Hewlett-Packard in collaboration with the Singapore based HealthSTATS. Unlike standard blood pressure monitors, the BPro G2 relies on a sensor hat rests against an artery in the wrist and detects the shape of the pressure wave as blood flows through it. The monitor comes with related software designed to keep patients and doctors informed of the wearer’s vital signs, including heart rate and blood pressure. Data are transmitted from the device to the user’s cell phone, and then to the cloud, where clinicians can review them. The system can sound alerts when it detects abnormalities in pressure or other measures. At the time the article was published, an eight week clinical trial underway in Singapore with a hundred participants, some of whom have blood pressure related conditions such as chronic stroke, was assessing how the device affects patient and physician behavior. Results will help researchers determine whether the monitor helped people with hypertension better control it, and whether it could detect abnormal blood pressure in individuals who were seemingly healthy.
Published by: Technology Review, Inc. (Website:http://www.technologyreview.com)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Web Site: http://www.mit.edu )
Link to text: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/37914/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-06-30
