17-Mar-2021 | Market Research Store

Currently, the smart speakers including Amazon Echo and Google Home have proved beneficial in monitoring certain vital signs at home itself. Recently, the researchers from the University of Washington have found these devices to help monitor baby’s breathing or even identify cardiac arrests. The smart speakers monitor the smallest of the motions of an individual to detect any changes in the vital signs. The UW researchers have found an application of the smart speakers which is monitoring both regular and irregular heartbeats without having to touch the patient. The device transfers inaudible sounds from the speaker into the open space and the way this sound reflects back to the speaker which then helps monitor the heartbeats of the individual.

The team used machine learning for making the tiny motion on the chest surface detectable to the smart speakers through the signals. The heartbeats whether regular or irregular could both be detected using the smart speakers. The researchers found the smart speakers to be as accurate as the standard heartbeat monitors in detecting heartbeats. The detection of regular heartbeats is easy as their patterns are periodic but in case of irregular heartbeats there is lack of specific pattern. It is thus necessary that we develop a device that can monitor an individual’s heartbeat. The average of the heartbeats over time is known as heart rate and the pattern of the heartbeats is known as heart rhythm. This is why doctors generally are more interested in studying the heart rhythm. The heartbeats 1 beat per second in case of a regular heart rhythm but in irregular heart rhythm the beats are scattered across a minute.

The difficulty in diagnosing heart conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and demand for a low-cost test at the convenience of home could help in early diagnosis and management. The smart speakers are the device the medical professionals could use to hear the Inaudible sounds generated during the rise and fall of their chest as they breathe. The new beam-forming algorithmalong with the multiple speakers in the smart speakers helps it detect heartbeats to make the necessary diagnosis for planning out the further treatments.

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