Google has published a research explaining how a new experimental technology can turn any ANC earbuds into cardiac monitors.
Audioplethysmography (APG) is a novel cardiac monitoring modality that can be used in hearable devices. It works by sending a low-intensity ultrasound probing signal using the hearable device’s speakers and receiving the echoes via the on-board feedback microphones. As the volume of the ear canals slightly changes with blood vessel deformations, the heartbeats will modulate these ultrasound echoes.
APG has several advantages over traditional cardiac monitoring methods. It is non-invasive, does not require any additional sensors, and is resilient to motion artifacts. APG can also be used in a variety of settings, including during exercise and while listening to music.
Google AI researchers have developed a new APG signal processing pipeline that enables robust monitoring of cardiac activities using mass-market ANC headphones in both constrained and unconstrained settings. They conducted an eight-month field study with 153 participants to evaluate APG in various conditions, and found that it was accurate and reliable.
APG has the potential to revolutionize the way people monitor heart health. It could be used to develop new wearable devices that can provide continuous and accurate heart rate monitoring, as well as early detection of heart problems.
APG is still in its early stages of development. Full paper can be found here.
