Apple plans new heart-monitoring wearable device

Tech giant Apple has filed a patent application for a wearable device that can measure electrocardiographic (ECG) signals to monitor the health of your heart, a media report said on Friday.

The filing, published by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), shows commitment on Apple's part to enter the health care industry, qz.com reported.

The device may look like a ring or a bracelet.

Apple's design makes the traditional ECG machine redundant. To calibrate the device, users should undergo an "enrollment" process where readings are taken from different parts of the body before using the device.

"It can use those measurements to correct abnormalities resulting from the device's location on a person's body," the report added.

Apple last year released ResearchKit, an open source software framework to help doctors gather data from participants using iPhone apps.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he didn't want to "put the [Apple] Watch through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process," but he "wouldn't mind putting something adjacent to the watch through it."

--IANS

na/vt