Omron HeartGuide packs blood pressure monitor into a smartwatch, Complete BP monitor featu...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2019
Omron showed off its latest wares at the ShowStoppers event at CES 2019 on Tuesday, including the HeartGuide wearable blood pressure monitor and an at-home BP monitor with EKG technology developed in partnership with AliveCor.

Omron
Omron HeartGuide


Omron claims HeartGuide is the first wearable blood pressure monitor to squeeze its complex components into a smartwatch-style form factor. The company says it filed more than 80 patents to realize the device, which contains parts and technology that miniaturize components required for oscillometric measurement.

Like traditional -- and much larger -- blood pressure measurement devices, HeartGuide relies on an inflatable cuff hidden in its band to facilitate readings. The process is thought to be more accurate than methods employed by other products which rely on solid-state sensors to provide blood pressure estimates.

A transflective, backlit display saves on energy, allowing Omron to build in general smartwatch features like email support, call and text notifications, health tracking, sleep tracking and more. Users can expect to charge HeartGuide two to three times a week, Omron estimates.

Omron
Omron Complete


In addition to HeartGuide, Omron this spring will release an at-home blood pressure monitor with built-in EKG capabilities. Called Complete, the device allows users to measure and store blood pressure and heart readings simultaneously. Readings can subsequently be shared with healthcare practitioners.

To bring the device to market, Omron partnered with AliveCor, the same company that delivered Apple Watch's first FDA-certified accessory in the Kardia Band EKG meter. Omron says the Complete utilizes advanced algorithms to detect atrial fibrillation, a leading cause of stroke.

Both the HeartGuide and Complete sync data with Apple's HealthKit through their respective mobile apps.

HeartGuide is available now for $499 through Omron's website. The Complete is currently under FDA review and is expected to ship in early 2019 for around $200.

AppleInsider is at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from Jan. 8 through Jan. 11, where we're expecting 5G devices, HomeKit, 8K monitors and more. Keep up with our coverage by downloading the AppleInsider app, and follow us on YouTube, Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos throughout the event.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,728member
    I wonder if the current Watch 4 will be adding blood pressure at some point or if that is destined for watch 5?  So far I am enthralled by my never-ending stream of inconclusive EKG results.  
  • Reply 2 of 6
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    MacPro said:
    I wonder if the current Watch 4 will be adding blood pressure at some point or if that is destined for watch 5?  So far I am enthralled by my never-ending stream of inconclusive EKG results.  
    Withings (they're private again, no longer part of Nokia) has an interesting new monitor, the BPM Core.  It combines a blood pressure monitor with an electrocardiogram and a digital stethoscope. There's also the Withings Move watch but it doesn't have the BP monitor.

    As for ECG wearables it's now "the thing" apparently with new entrants in the watch category. We can all not only worry needlessly, but more often and far more efficiently. :)
    edited January 2019
  • Reply 3 of 6
    gabberattackgabberattack Posts: 154member
    From what I know, wrist BP cuffs are very unreliable and frequently show very different BP with each measurement, as an expensive toy it is OK but not really a serious device for monitoring BP. Every time I checked wrist measurements on various wrist devices they were so much off the actual BP that I just stopped using them...
    edited January 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 6
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,286member
    gabberattack said:
    From what I know, wrist BP cuffs are very unreliable and frequently show very different BP with each measurement, as an expensive toy it is OK but not really a serious device for monitoring BP. Every time I checked wrist measurements on various wrist devices they were so much off the actual BP that I just stopped using them...
    The key factor is consistency. If it offers consistent measurements, I would think you could calibrate against a more accurate device to determine your readings. Kind of like knowing that a thermometer is always 5 degrees too warm.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 6
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,373member
    The holy grail feature for the Apple Watch health app portfolio will be non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. Once Apple gets that function figured out I'd expect to see an exponential increase in Apple Watch sales.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 6
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,573member
    The difference between "precision" and "accuracy" may be helpful here. Precision is about getting the same answer, accuracy is about getting the right answer. So if a something was measuring X% too high all the time, it would be precise but not accurate. But another thing could be measuring correct values on average but have a mean error of Y%, and that would make it accurate but not precise. In this case we don't know if the device in question is accurate or precise. There are no measuring device that are perfectly accurate or perfectly precise. We must each decide how much inaccuracy and imprecision we are willing to tolerate.
    dewmewatto_cobra
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