Wearable health sensor saves up to six months’ design time, says Maxim
Rapid prototyping, evaluation and development are provided by the MAXREFDES101# Health Sensor Platform 2.0 (HSP 2.0) from Maxim Integrated Products. It brings the ability to monitor electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate and body temperature to a wrist-worn device, saving up to six months in development time, says the company.
Althought wrist-based devices are convenient for users to wear daily, they have proven challenging to derive precise ECG monitoring from the wrist – most alternatives require a wearable chest strap, reports Maxim. An accurate body temperature reading typically requires using a thermometer at another location. Maxim believes it has overcome these challenges, through its proprietary sensor and health monitoring technology.
The wrist-based form factor is enclosed in a watch casing and enables HSP 2.0 to provide basic functionality out of the box, with body-monitoring measurements starting immediately. Data can be stored on the platform for patient evaluation or streamed to a PC for analysis later. Unlike other wearables, the data measurements collected by the HSP 2.0 can be owned by the wearer, alleviating data privacy concerns and allowing users to conduct their own data analysis, points out Maxim. As it is an open platform, designers can evaluate their own algorithms on the board. The modular format can quickly accommodate new sensors, adds Maxim.
HSP 2.0 includes the MAX32630 Darwin low-power microcontroller for wearables and internet of things (IoT) applications, the MAX32664 low-power biometric sensor hub with embedded heart-rate algorithm, the MAX20303 integrated and programmable power management solution designed for low-power wearable applications, the MAX30205 human body temperature sensor with ±0.1 degree C accuracy, MAX30001 low-power, single-channel integrated bio-potential and bio-impedance analogue front-end for wearable applications, and the MAX86141 low-power optical pulse oximeter and heart-rate sensor for wearables.
The Arm Mbed environment provides a high level of abstraction to eliminate maintenance of software tools and provide an extensive library of open-source software, for efficient evaluation and rapid application prototyping.
Health Sensor Platform 2.0, MAXREFDES101#, is available with hardware and firmware files at Maxim’s website and select franchised distributors. Arm Mbed also offers the hardware, firmware and microboard.
