![]() In differential capacitive accelerometers, the seismic mass is suspended between two electrodes and the acceleration of the seismic mass is proportional to the differential capacitance between the electrodes 7. The three most common types of accelerometers are the piezoresistive, piezoelectric and differential capacitive accelerometers, with the differential capacitive accelerometer being the most commonly used in wearables owing to its superior performance 7. These devices take advantage of Newton’s second law in which mass deflection to the opposite direction of motion with a certain amount of acceleration can be measured electrically. The common operation principle of triaxial accelerometers is based on a seismic mass attached to a mechanical suspension system 7. The other major inertial sensor is the gyroscope, which measures angular motion 7. The triaxial accelerometer is the dominant method of activity monitoring in current wearables and measures linear acceleration along three different planes. Therefore, the subjective reporting of physical activity levels will become obsolete as digital health trends, such as wearables and smartphones, can objectively and accurately assess physical activity and energy expenditure through various sensors. Common statements such as “I walk five times a week for 30 minutes” do not include important information such as physical activity intensity, distance and sedentary time. ![]() This approach is limited by a lack of sufficient detail, recall bias and a failure to objectively assess physical activity in a real-life environment. The assessment of physical activity levels has traditionally been subjective and recorded only during clinic visits, if at all. Physical activity is inversely correlated to adverse cardiovascular outcomes 5 and all-cause mortality and is recommended by the AHA as one of the ‘Life’s Simple 7’ lifestyle recommendations to promote heart health 6. Finally, we propose a practical ‘ABCD’ guide for clinicians to handle wearables in routine clinical practice. We also highlight several challenges hindering their widespread adoption and how to move forward as we embark on a new decade of clinical innovation. In this Review, we summarize the basic engineering principles of common wearable sensors and discuss their applications in cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis and management. Although the integration of this technology in the clinical workplace is still in its infancy, it has rapidly moved through the Gartner Hype Cycle for emerging technologies 3 and its adoption has further accelerated after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the explosive growth of telehealth 4. An estimated 20% of US residents currently own a smart wearable device and the global market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25%, reaching US$70 billion by 2025 (refs 1, 2). These include smartwatches, rings and wristbands, to name a few, and they all have high processing power and numerous sophisticated sensors that can glean new health insights. Smart wearables are consumer-grade, connected electronic devices that can be worn on the body as an accessory or embedded into clothing. Technological innovations continue to become exceedingly ingrained into everyday life and consumers are beginning to use consumer-grade software and hardware devices to manage their health. ![]() We present several recommendations to navigate these challenges and propose a simple and practical ‘ABCD’ guide for clinicians, personalized to their specific practice needs, to accelerate the integration of these devices into the clinical workflow for optimal patient care. To date, challenges such as device accuracy, clinical validity, a lack of standardized regulatory policies and concerns for patient privacy are still hindering the widespread adoption of smart wearable technologies in clinical practice. We also examine the role of these devices in the remote screening and diagnosis of common cardiovascular diseases, such as arrhythmias, and in the management of patients with established cardiovascular conditions, for example, heart failure. In this Review, we highlight the basic engineering principles of common wearable sensors and where they can be error-prone. In the era of remote, decentralized and increasingly personalized patient care, catalysed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the cardiovascular community must familiarize itself with the wearable technologies on the market and their wide range of clinical applications. Technological innovations reach deeply into our daily lives and an emerging trend supports the use of commercial smart wearable devices to manage health. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |