Finnish researchers have unveiled a wearable device to detect atrial fibrillation in people who may be at raised risk.
A team based at the University of Eastern Finland created the device to meet the need for innovative methods for detection atrial fibrillation, which can trigger stroke if untreated.
Medical student Elmeri Santala and colleagues developed a small electrocardiogram machine which is worn as a pendant on a necklace. They explain that a single-lead electrocardiogram is embedded into the pendant, to measure heart rhythm.
It sends the information to a smartphone app, which forwards it to a cloud service where it is analysed for atrial fibrillation using artificial intelligence. The user can see the results and their doctor is sent an electrocardiogram report.
Details were published on EHRA Essentials 4 You, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology.
The necklace was tested for accuracy in a study of 145 adults, who simultaneously had a three-lead electrocardiogram recording as a known, reliable comparison.
Mr Santala says: "The wearable necklace-electrocardiogram provides a new and easy method for detecting an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, which is a fast-growing public health problem.
"The necklace electrocardiogram is simple to use and allows repetitive self-monitoring of heart rhythm, thereby improving the likelihood of detecting atrial fibrillation. The electrocardiogram recommends screening for atrial fibrillation in people over 65 years of age and in those at high risk of stroke, automated analysis by the necklace electrocardiogram is well suited for this purpose.”
He adds: “Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation should always be confirmed by a physician using the electrocardiogram report."
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