Wearable monitor tracks vital signs for health and fitness benefits

The MAX-HEALTH-BAND evaluation and development platform, a wrist-worn heart rate and activity monitor, features the MAX86140 optimised optical pulse-oximeter/heart rate sensor, the MAX20303 wearable power management solution, and Maxim’s motion compensated algorithms. The MAX-ECG-MONITOR evaluation and development platform features the MAX30003 ultra-low power, clinical grade Analogue Front End (AFE), which monitors ECG and heart rate signals. It comes in two form factors, a wet electrode patch for clinical applications and a chest strap for fitness applications.

The MAX-HEALTH-BAND heart rate and activity tracker demonstrates system level performance at the IC level and can be used to evaluate AFEs and Power Management ICs (PMICs). It includes motion compensated algorithms to extract useful data for health and fitness applications based on photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. 

In addition, it streams algorithm output and raw data from the health sensors via Bluetooth onto a smartphone app for customer algorithm development. Algorithm output data provided includes heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), step count, and activity classification. 

For high accuracy, the heart rate and activity monitor collects beat-to-beat physiological data about the heart. The Maxim ICs within the MAX-HEALTH-BAND require less than half the power of similar products, allowing it to last for seven days on just a single charge. These ICs are also approximately one third smaller to deliver a compact, comfortable form factor for consumers. 

Jussi Kaasinen, Business Development Director at Movesense, stated: "Developers creating monitoring devices don't always have the special expertise in measurement technology, visual and mechanical industrial design, signal processing, and algorithm development. On the other hand, consumers want comfortable wearables with long battery life and reliable accuracy. Fully productised and commercially available Movesense based applications such as the MAX-ECG-MONITOR enable customers to go to market quickly, while also providing high performance and comfort."

The MAX-ECG-MONITOR evaluation and development platform, featuring the MAX30003 clinical grade AFE, analyses data and accurately tracks ECG and heart rate to provide valuable insight to customers for clinical and fitness applications. It also allows developers to run their own fitness or medical ECG based applications and algorithms. 

Part of the Movesense ecosystem for biometric and motion sensor solutions, the MAX-ECG-MONITOR runs an open Application Programming Interface (API) for developing in-device apps for various ECG based use cases showing heart rate signals at rest or during high motion activity. 

Andrew Baker, Executive Director of the Industrial & Healthcare Business Unit at Maxim Integrated, said: "With these end applications, software companies and startups can significantly accelerate time to market by using them right out of the box. The MAX-HEALTH-BAND, for example, is a complete solution allowing customers to design a heart rate and activity monitor in its entirety, using either their own algorithms or the one we created for them."

The MAX-HEALTH-BAND is available at Maxim’s website for $200 and includes Maxim's motion compensation algorithms as well as an Android based app for a complete, wrist worn activity tracking solution, available for white box license.

The MAX-ECG-MONITOR is available for $150 and includes an ECG module that can attach to the chest for fitness applications or wet electrode patches for clinical applications, available for white box license.

The MAX-HEALTH-BAND and MAX-ECG-MONITOR evaluation and development platforms will be on display and available for demonstration at Medical Sensors Design Conference (25th June, 2018 in San Jose, California, booth 10) and Sensors Expo & Conference (26th to 28th, June, 2018 in San Jose, California, booth 1035).