A team of scientists from the University of California San Diego has created a revolutionary smartphone device that can measure blood pressure.
In essence, this is a compact clip that attaches to a smartphone and then becomes an “indispensable aid in maintaining health”.
The device, called the BPClip, is made of simple plastic and can be 3D printed. Most interestingly, the cost of a copy in mass production is only 10 cents or 8 rubles.
Therefore, the novelty is noticeably cheaper than conventional blood pressure monitors with cuffs. At the same time, the measurement accuracy of these two devices is almost the same.
The principle of operation of the gadget is simple and convenient. The BPClip attaches to the corner of the smartphone so that the small hole in the clip is above the camera lens and the light guide covers the flash.
To measure the pressure, it is sufficient for the user to press the clip with his fingertip. A special spring fixes different pressure levels, creating the necessary resistance.
With each press, the smartphone camera takes a photo of the finger illuminated by the flash and a red dot appears in the image. With increasing pressure, the diameter of the spot increases and its color becomes brighter depending on the volume of blood in the finger.
The images of the points are analyzed using a special application on the smartphone. The application determines the current indicators of the user’s systolic and diastolic pressure, based on the size and brightness of the spot in different photos.
Source: Ferra
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