LifeTracker – innovative technology fitness/health tracker using pulse wave analysis

Intro

The boom of services and gadgets for the personal healthcare has already begun: trackers of physical activity and physiological analyzers are becoming more accurate, more convenient and more popular. However, the real revolution is yet to come: soon a whole crowd of healthtronics things and devices will surround the people. These devices will not only estimate person’s condition, but also will improve the quality of living, making athletes stronger, kids and elders healthier, wearable computer become personal nutritionist and health consultant.

History of project

In 2000, the scientific team in association with the Vladivostok medical institute were working on applying the modern computer analysis technologies in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The pulse sensor was created (as in TCM the pulse is the basis of diagnosis), and the Analysis Software to examine and estimate the pulse readings. This system demonstrate high effectiveness and reliability, it is distributing in Russia, India, USA and other countries.

In 2006, at the scientific and practical conference at the University of Daejeon, South Korea, we have introduced the idea of ​​a personal health monitor based on the analysis of pulse technology (a prototype of LifeTracker). However, it caused only of scientific interest of the community, investors did not appreciate the potential of the project.

Today, the trends in personal healthcare are obvious. There are plenty of the devices created and the major technological companies are involved.

Now the LifeTracker project team is working on the first version of the mobile application with minimal functionality, and we are seeking for partners / investors for the project. 

The necessity

To prevent disease is much easier than to cure it. Most of serious diseases comes gradually from doing little wrong actions (wrong nutrition, wrong physical and mental work, stresses). Curing serious disease will turn to expenses, loss of health, loss of energy and ability.

How to prevent serious disease?

First, we must identify that something is going wrong. This task is completing by health monitoring systems. The idea of personal health monitor is not new; it is used widely in special medical fields. However, these high-tech systems are expensive and require multiple sensors to be attached throughout the body, sometimes very uncomfortable. The data gathered from these sensors is very specific and may only be interpreted by professional medics.

On the other hand, the consumer-level health monitors (activity trackers) are lack of information about person condition, because they only collect indirect parameters (heart rate, GPS data and other).

Our Pulse Analysis System technology applies unique (patented) spectral analysis methods, which allows to identify various conditions of person, and to determine parameters and flow of processes in organism (for now it is about 20 parameters) from a series of pulse waves.

Using this technology in personal health monitor devices, we can get simple and effective solution.

Plans

Now we are planning several products:

1. Mobile app – using the phone camera to record pulse wave, it reduces the quality and reliability of the signal, but seriously expands the market of the product.
2. Mobile app with wearable Bluetooth sensor – this is compromise solution as it allow to greatly improving the quality of pulse signal.
3. Wearable smart watches – using integrated sensors it collect pulse data in automatic mode.

We are actively working on first two products, as the smart watches are requiring serious investments.

Why a smartphone?

Today, technological environment created by manufacturers of smartphones, allows us to implement our technology right now, and convert almost any modern smartphone into a personal health monitor.

I already have activity tracker (watches). What are the LifeTracker advantages?

All currently using consumer smart gears are using measurement of indirect parameters (acceleration, HR, GPS) which have no strong connection to any valuable diagnostics information. It cannot tell for sure is something is good for you or not.

LifeTracker is analyzing shape and dynamics of pulse waves (cardio signal), which are directly corresponding to main diagnostics parameters. In addition, we are using our wide expertise in pulse wave analysis.

What are the parameters LifeTracker gives?

A forthcoming application is now implementing a number of parameters. Main parameter is the Functional State that presents a comprehensive evaluation of all body systems. In addition, there is the Predicative mechanism based on long-term monitoring (e.g. within a week the condition worsens therefore increases the risk of developing illness).

We have plans to implement other important diagnostic parameters such as blood pressure, as well as the specific parameters of the pulse, which provides insights into the nature of the changes in the human condition.

All this, along with the accumulated data base analysis (BigData), allows us to classify conditions and it reactions. That offers the prospect of using the system in other areas: Sports, Nutrition, and others. 

LifeTracker for you

1. Be aware of your body condition, and changes, find out when, what and how impacts your health.
2. What is good, what is bad for me? Find out how your body react different food, tastes (to make your personal diet), which place is making you feel better, which color of dress or interior is best for you today, and many many more.
3. Use tracker for live session during exercises, yoga and meditation to estimate your training level, and adaptation capabilities, to get know how to recover faster, to find right exercises live, it especially important during breathing exercises.

Tests

Numbers of tests were carried out. The tests demonstrates the potential of proved Pulse analysis technology in fitness applications. This test also shows that Lifetracker parameters does not correlate directly to Heart Rate, which is used by other fitness trackers.
It is now possible to directly measure  the parameters necessary for effective training such as fatigue, endurance, adaptation time, exercise effect.

The complete timelapse of the test.

Product – LifeTracker 1.0

The first mobile app using the Pulse analysis technology: