[Nfb-science] Vital Signs Article

[Fred Wurtzel]

hi, 

 

Sorry too much turkey cloggimg my brain, here's the article.

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Fred

 

Philips iPad 2 app takes your vitals

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

by

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

November 22, 2011 2:22 PM PST

Last year, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media
Lab

unveiled a novel pulse-measuring technique

that used a low-resolution Webcam. It worked by imaging the human face to
detect

the slightest changes in brightness resulting from blood flow.

(Credit:

Philips)

Electronics maker Philips is now is bringing a strikingly similar technology
to market

with its

Vital Signs Camera App

, though with the rather important disclaimer that said app should not be
considered

a medical tool.

The app, released last week for 99 cents, uses the

iPad

's built-in camera to detect those tiny changes in color--which Philips

calls "micro-blushes"

--that measure blood flow to indicate one's pulse. The camera also tracks
chest movement

to determine one's respiratory rate.

To use the app, one simply needs to position one's face within the given
brackets

on the screen and hold still for a few seconds while the measurements are
taken.

The results can then be shared by Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail.

One early adopter

writes a telling review

: "Don't know if the readings are correct, but still amazing to use."

It is indeed hard to say exactly how accurate this technology is, and the
disclaimer

clarifies that measurements and statistics are provided for "entertainment
use only,"

but with Philips making its algorithms

available for licensing

, this will surely be the first of many vital-sign apps to come.

For now, as we sprawl out on couches and under tables after the inevitably
too-large

Thanksgiving meal, measuring our vital signs could certainly become one form
of holiday

entertainment.

Watch on YouTube

Philips Vital Signs Camera App