This new device can track heart attacks in real time, here's how it is different from other tech that's available

The incidence of heart attack cases, especially among the younger generation has escalated to new levels.  A five-year study by Aakash Healthcare, Delhi, revealed that heart attack cases more than doubled after the Covid-19 pandemic, with emergency cases rising by 60 per cent, The New Indian Express reported. 

Most of the time, what could have easily been recognised is often ignored and late response to such instances would cost a life. But have you wondered what would have been the situation, if we could detect the signs of the heart attack and would that have saved the person? 

When it comes to detecting and treating heart attacks, every second counts. A team from the University of Mississippi (UM) have devised a new technology that can ideally identify heart attacks faster and more accurately than traditional methods. 

As per Kasem Khalil, a UM electrical and computer engineering professor, and his lab, the new tech which involves a chip is devised using artificial intelligence and advanced mathematics. This chip can efficiently analyse electrocardiograms, known as ECGs – graphs of the heart's electrical signals – and detect a heart attack in real time. The chip can be embedded in wearable devices and has proved 92.4 per cent accurate. The study was published in Intelligent Systems, Blockchain and Communication Technologies. 

"When a patient is having a heart attack, the sooner you can treat them, the less likely they are to have permanent damage," Khalil said. "There's a huge time-sensitive element to heart attacks."

What sets this apart from other methods?

The traditional methods of detecting heart attacks involve a medical facility, where a patient who is suspected to be having a heart attack needs to be rushed to the hospital and must be put through various tests to diagnose their condition. 

Although there are some wearable watches like Apple or Samsung that can analyse heart rate and irregular heart rhythm, they cannot detect a heart attack in real time. In 2024, Samsung rolled out  Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRN) for Galaxy Watch users in India. 

According to the researchers, if a wearable device such as a watch or a phone can cut down on diagnosis time, patients could get faster treatment.

Health