2024-09-27 16:39:40
Apple has applied to register a new patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (United States Patent and Trademark Officeor USPTO) which indicates that the AirPods could be used in the future to detect heart problems of users.
The patent application mentions a device (worn in the ear) with a microphone that processes the captured signal to detect whether there is an association between it and any cardiac pathology, using a predictive algorithm to detect the presence of characteristics related to the diseases.
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This processing may include applying a filter and detecting infrasound or ultrasound signals in the microphone capture. The signal can be processed to detect the indication of a heartbeat or other movement, being useful for detecting changes such as bradycardia and tachycardia.
But the patent provides for the detection of even more complex pathologies with a method that would consist of working together with another sensor (such as the one on the Apple Watch) to process a second cardiac signal. With this, it would be possible to compare them and detect, for example, the time it takes for blood to go from the wrist to the head.
One of the most serious diseases that could be detected would be a blockage in the carotid artery. To this end, Apple could include the use of an artificial neural network to identify the pathology based precisely on the comparison between the users’ first and second cardiac activity.
Apple’s patent application corroborates a recent rumor that future AirPods Pro will be able to measure users’ heart rate, in addition to indicating that devices initially designed for listening to music could go much further in terms of health in the future.
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via Patently Apple
1727457136
#Apple #patent #aims #detect #heart #disease #AirPods
