Scientists create device that warns of approaching heart attack

Engineers from Southern Federal University (SFedU) have developed a device that warns of an impending heart attack by analysing the condition of people with heart disease in real time and sending an SOS signal in critical situations.

Cardiac arrest or heart attack is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is often compounded by the fact that an attack occurs when the person is alone and is not able to promptly “call” for help.

Specialists from SFedU’s Advanced Engineering School, to address this challenge, created a physical-activity cardiac recorder. This portable hardware-and-software system assesses deviations from an individual’s normal physiological state.

Sergey Sinyutin, Head of the Department of Embedded and Radio Receiver Systems at SFedU, stated that the device, similar in appearance to a compact fitness tracker, continuously records physiological indicators and transmits them to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

A dedicated mobile application then performs an initial analysis of the data and provides feedback to the user, such as whether to continue exercising, reduce the pace, or take a break.

The device, according to a news report by the university’s press service, was developed based on the synthesis of three approaches: Holter monitoring for detailed ECG recording, telemetry for continuous data transmission, and a personal tracker that not only collects but also analyses information in real time.

The key technical task was the synchronous recording and comparison of two data streams: cardiovascular system parameters (heart rate, heart rate variability) and movement parameters (accelerometry).

This makes it possible to detect signs of changes in functional state before a disruption occurs, preventing a breakdown in the body’s adaptive mechanisms.

In a critical situation, the cardiac recorder automatically sends an SOS signal with geolocation to the smartphones of relatives. In addition, all data are transmitted to a secure cloud storage system, access to which can be granted to the attending physician for remote monitoring and adjustment of the rehabilitation plan.