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You’re in a doctor’s surgery, about to get a heart test that could be all that stands between you and dropping dead during a sporting event. The doctor pulls out his iPhone, which is a little unprofessional, you think, let’s get down to the — HOLY GOOD GOD HE’S USING IT TO RUN THE ACTUAL TEST??? Meet the Alivecor Heart Monitor iPhone case.
Affordable electrocardiogram (ECG) screening is actually a real need (the AliveCor monitor is just £160-odd), even though you’ve probably never heard of it. Failure of the ECG screens to detect underlying heart conditions is suspected to have led to many young athletes going into cardiac arrest, and sometimes death. Children’s lives literally depend on these things. And being approved for use in medical exams in the US is about as good an endorsement as you can get, save for our own NHS picking it up.
Appending sensors onto the computing power of a device you probably already have is a fine and efficient idea. There are other medical iPhone uses, like blood sugar tests for diabetics, or simple heart monitors. And again, AliveCor has all of the backing of the US FDA, as well as the encouraging responses from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.
But still. It’s a damn iPhone. This is already a fairly easy test to misread, and now you’re watching some dipshit doctor pull his iPhone out of his pocket, flip it on, while dismissing his banner notifications on his lock screen, and firing up your test. And you, being a relatively tech-savvy person, notice it’s only good on an iPhone 4 or 4S. Ugh. This is going to become more common, and honestly, probably doesn’t mean too much regarding the quality of tests, maybe. But man, wouldn’t that make you just a little more nervous than you would be with a big, beeping hunk of plastic on wheels form the 70s? [AliveCor via Dvice]
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HELL NO!
And another Hell no!
If he’s using Apple body maps to locate it first he’ll probably be listening to your kneecap.
Yes actually – in this instance the iPhone is nothing more than processor and display. The sensors are built into the case and the software pairs with it to take the readings.
T and Tones – By any chance Android users?
P
The answer is no but not for the reason that it is an iPhone. When running an ECG on a patient, the bare minimum should be a three lead reading (Using three leads to create a triangle around the heart to read the electrical activity). The current case being used is providing a two lead reading which will fail to show several key aspects as to what is happening and what might be going on with the patient. Ideally all patients with query heart issues should receive a 12 lead ECG that provides a virtual 360 representation of electrical activity of the heart. Short answer: 2 Lead crap, 12 Lead good, 3 Lead if thats all you have but send to hospital for 12.
Remember though, this product can only be used in a GP practice, Hospital or other Pre-Hospital environment it must be classed as a medical device. The rules on these are very stringent and certification must be applied for and then signed off. If the product has got past these then good on them, it must have a good level of data submitted showing that it works.
Would it be possible to take multiple readings at different angles with this case though? If the software was savvy enough, you could take time-spaced estimations of leads I, II and III (aVF, aVL, aVR and V1-V6 are all still out the window though) to estimate things like axis deviation?
Wouldn’t be any good for more complex arrhythmias and morphologies, but I guess you could still have a stab at axis deviation, heart blocks, and a few supra/ventricular tachys?
Still seems a bit superfluous though!
Two leads is certainly rather limiting; you make an interesting point about taking multiple readings from different angles. I can see this being used for home monitoring by patients with infrequent palpitations. I hope as the device is developed a 12 lead version with a lightning connector will become available.
Having looked at it more last night I can see certain merits I missed originally. First Responder for example: Most Ambulance Services have staff that will attend before the PRU or Ambulance arrives. Being able to see Lead 2 of a patient would be enough to show Myocardial Infarction, SVT, AF albeit not brilliantly. This information can then be passed on to the crew en-route giving them an idea of what to expect.
Interesting idea about the multiple angles, I’m not sure how it would work but couldn’t see a reason why it could not be calibrated to do so. Fingers crossed for the lightning connector idea though.
Good job slamming a low cost and potentially life saving device.
Extra credit for referring to Doctors as ‘dipshits’.
Well done.
Agreed. Stressed out of my mind as I’m sitting my medical finals this week, pop on Gizmodo for a revision break and this is what you think of my future profession? Fuck you, Kyle.
Good luck in your exams dude.
P.s. What do you expect from a dipshit writer? :p