14 DAY TRIAL // Apple's iPhone smartphone seems to be slowly, but surely turning into some kind of uber-device, capable of carrying out just about any type of function via the numerous supported apps and accessories, the latest we've come across being related to the possibility of turning the handset created by the company from Cupertino into a full-fledged monitor for one's vital signs. This is possible via a device called Pulsear developed by Swiss technology-transfer company CSEM, that uses infrared signals to see how fast your heart is beating. The Pulsear features a tiny unit embedded in a regular earphone that sends infrared signals through the tissues in your ear, while a very small photo diode records the results and sends the information via the normal earphone wires to a device that plugs into your phone. The result is an accurate reading of your heart rate, without the irritation of wearing a chest belt, while an application available on the iPhone allows users to see one's heart rate over time onscreen and compare results. "A lot of people listen to music while they exercise and a lot of people find the belts uncomfortable," said CSEM's Dr Andrea Ridolfi, "so we thought it made sense to try to measure heart rate through the ear." Apparently, the company has managed to convince the European Space Agency (ESA) to include their technology into a chest sensor for measuring astronauts' blood oxygen levels, as required by the ESA Long Term Medical Survey system. While the current prototype measures only heart rate, future versions could easily be adapted to measure additional vital signs such as blood oxygen levels. Unfortunately, for the time being, the Pulsear's inventors are still searching for an industrial partner for commercialization, but given the impressive potential this thing boasts, we're pretty sure that they won't have too much trouble finding one.
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