Apple wants to turn its smart watch into a medical device

Apple is trying to turn its smart clock into a medical device that accurately measures the heartbeat. To this end, it used Stanford University for research in a study involving nearly 400,000 people.

To achieve this, Apple began sending mail to smart-time third-generation smartphones last year, inviting them to participate in a wide-ranging study on the potential use of the clock to monitor heart disorders.

The aim of this study, which is part of the Stanford University, is to measure the capacity of Apple's third-generation watches to determine arrhythmias, and participants are required to install a particular application and wear the watch.

If the hourly sensors detect the irregular heartbeat, a sophisticated medical monitor will be installed to measure these cases for seven days to be sure.

About 5 million people in the United States are affected by atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and irregular heart rhythm, which greatly increases the risk of stroke and heart failure.

An estimated 70,000 people in this group do not know they have these symptoms, and they are particularly interested in this study. If Apple's clock detects the arrhythmia of these users and alerts them to appropriate preventive action, then it will save many lives.

But is it enough to diagnose the clock?

Heart doctor Minto Turachia, the study's director and director of Stanford University's Digital Health Center, says he and his team will monitor what happens after users receive an alert and whether they have a diagnosis. What treatment do they receive?

"We are interested in knowing the patient's experience, and we also want to see if the hourly alert helps to provide proper care," he said.

Apple and Stanford University enrolled more than 400,000 participants in this study, making it the largest study of atrial fibrillation at all.

This study is part of Apple's vision to transform its smart clock into a medical device capable of accurately measuring health indicators and foretelling health problems, which prompted it to integrate the ECG into the fourth generation hours launched last month.