Many individuals would be lost when confronted by someone apparently lying lifeless after a heart attack. A simple mobile phone app could help by allowing users to provide operators with vital information, simply by launching the app and placing the phone on the patient’s chest.
At the emergency services center a red light on the computer screen indicates that the patient’s heart has stopped. A speedy response to the medical emergency could prove to be a lifesaver in such a case.
A beta version of such an app has been developed by researchers at Kuopio University Hospital collaborating with specialists in medical physics from the University of Eastern Finland.
It’s based on ECG or electro cardiogram receptors which can be located in areas such as a smartphone’s protective shell. The receptors allow emergency service workers to see the patient’s heartbeat, but it can also be used as a health tracker to monitor a user’s own pulse or activity levels.
Promising test results
While the app isn’t ready for commercial use, the results so far have been promising, researchers say.
"It does provide a good quality ECG. The application reliably records heartbeats," remarked Kuopio hospital’s emergency services medical chief of staff Helena Jäntti.
The idea behind the development of the application arose from the understanding of how even a little extra time could mean the difference between life and death in some medical emergencies.
Jäntti, who was involved in the design of the programme from its inception, said initiating revival of a heart attack patient even one minute earlier could save double the number of lives. In Finland as many as 3,500 people suffer cardiac arrest every year. Just 10 percent survive.
Next step a pilot product
In mid-August a company known as Heart2Save was established to commercialise the app and its accompanying phone cover. Jäntti conceded that although medical professionals are excited by the application, selling the concept to consumers is another matter altogether.
However she believes there is a market for the product: according to the World Health Organisation the leading cause of death in the world is cardiovascular disease.
The idea for a layman’s diagnostic tool has already won two pitching competitions in Kuopio and Joensuu. So far the app has been developed with research funding but the company will be looking for funding from the state innovation financier Tekes as well as other investors.
The company is now in deliberations to roll out a pilot product, but would not reveal the identities of potential partners at this stage. Discussions about how best to market the app are also ongoing.
"We’ve only just fired the starting shot. We want to observe the market, we’re not rushing about blindly," Jäntti explained.