The improved human performance has pushed the designs of technology to be used in the form of wearable for health, wearable for play, or wearable that could bring safer environments with greater efficiencies. And Apple has been greatly successful in bringing the heart monitoring or health capable wearable in reach of the common people. Recently, Apple’s first and medically approved Watch Strap has received an FDA clearance.

KardiaBand:

The strap is named as the KardiaBand by AliveCor. It is Blue-tooth connected and takes on the spot electrocardiogram (EKG) readings. This is a step above the optical heart rate sensor that is already present on the Apple Watch. The KardiaBand can better track the arterial fibrillation that can increase the chances of a stroke in a person and can create many complications.

Working of the KardiaBand:

The use of KardiaBand is easy; the user is required to place the thumb or finger on a metal contact embedded in the strap. With another metal contact, it completes a circuit that rest’s against the wrist of the user. It takes about 30 seconds for the EKG reading and the resulting information can be stored in the app. It can then be imported into Apple’s Health App or to a doctor for further analysis.

Also, with the help of Apple’s Watch’s onboard sensor, the AliveCor’s proprietary Kardia can continuously track the heart rate and detect when it beats abnormally. The user will be alerted to take an EKG reading. The Apple Watch itself has come out as an important tool for monitoring heart rates and has many examples of people saying that this device saved their life. The company wants Apple Watch to form the foundation of a healthy modern lifestyle. Furthermore, the company has been planning to explore the acquisition of on-site medical clinic startup.

Recently, the company has announced the launch of Apple Heart Study which will be conducted in collaboration with the Standard School of Medicine. The study by Apple is not the first one but the heart monitoring technology is not a common feature yet. This is something that indicates the technology’s flourishing feature.

Price and compatibility of Kardiaband:

When you look at the KardiaBand, it doesn’t look any different than the usual black strap of the Apple Watch but it is compatible with the Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 of the Apple Watch. The KardiaBand retails for $199 with EKG recording functionality through email or print. There is a cost of $99 per year for getting the additional capabilities such as cloud storage, history, and the monthly reports for sending to the doctor and is known as Alivecor’s premium subscription.

Via: iDropNews