Connected devices could soon save lives
Statistics show that 80% of those who survive do so thanks to having a bystander perform the correct actions within 3 minutes of the heart attack starting. With the aim of preventing more deaths, however, researchers at the University of Washington have developed technology capable of detecting when someone’s breathing shows typical signs of a heart attack occurring, then calling for the paramedics. The types of sounds characteristic of heart attacks are agonal respiration or gasping for breath.
The device was evaluated in a study published in npj Digital Medicine on June 19 1 , demonstrating 96.63% efficacy at a distance of up to 3 metres. The scientists tested it in different contexts, including with a smartphone placed in the user’s pocket or with added background noise generated by pets or cars. In all situations, the detection rates were near identical.
1) Justin Chan, Thomas Rea, Shyamnath Gollakota & Jacob E. Sunshine. Contactless cardiac arrest detection using smart devices. npj Digital Medicinevolume 2, Article number: 52 (2019)