Samsung wants to detect cardiovascular diseases via smartwatch
Samsung has announced that it is enabling the detection and monitoring of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) on its Galaxy smartwatches, a world-first. This is a serious cardiovascular condition that accounts for approximately 50% of all heart failure cases and is more deadly than some cancers.
Therefore, early detection is crucial to reduce the risk of death and hospitalizations. Samsung will use AI algorithms developed in collaboration with Medical AI, a Korean medical technology company specializing in AI-based ECGs. The algorithms are based on Medical AI’s in-house algorithm for 12-lead ECG analysis, which is already deployed in over 100 major hospitals in Korea and applied to over 120,000 patients monthly.
The technology enables early screening of asymptomatic individuals and also aims to reduce healthcare costs associated with heart failure by promoting early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Samsung EEG Prototype for the Ear
Samsung has also partnered with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Hanyang University to develop an EEG prototype worn around the ear. It aims to overcome the limitations of conventional EEG systems and offer “a sleek, ergonomic design that enables seamless brainwave monitoring outside of laboratory environments.” It captures high-quality signals from strategically placed electrodes around the ear.
The prototype “offered strong real-world application potential,” including accurate real-time drowsiness detection and AI brainwave analysis to determine participants’ video preferences with 92.86% accuracy, the latter “pointing to potential applications in neuromarketing and entertainment.”
No release date has been set for either. LVSD detection and monitoring is obviously the more mature technology, so we should see it first in practice sometime in the future.
