A couple of weeks ago, AliveCor, a leading innovator in the FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology space, announced the launch of the KardiaMobile Card.
The KardiaMobile Card is the slimmest and smallest self-contained, commercially available ECG that has been created to date. It is the size of a standard credit card, and is able to deliver a medical-grade, single-lead ECG in 30 seconds.
It’s very empowering that such a small device has been cleared for use by the FDA, as this puts the power of real-time ECG analysis directly into patients’ wallets or purses and provides the user with access to real-time cardiac care, particularly useful for spotting arrhythmias.
The device arrives in a small package (credit card, for size) and is something that would be easy to mail to consumers and patients alike. This is a disposable device, so it comes powered up and ready to use.
The KardiaMobile Card uses Bluetooth technology and pairs quickly to its corresponding smartphone app, the Kardia app. Following the creation of an account within the app, the user immediately has the option to pair a device. After selecting the KardiaMobile Card in the app and powering on the card itself, the pairing is immediately completed. Placement of fingers from both hands on the card begins the ECG recording.
When an ECG recording is been completed, KardiaMobile Card users also have access to cardiologist analyses of their ECGs, monthly heart health reports, and automatic sharing of ECG recordings via KardiaCare service, a membership-based service at $99 per year.
AliveCor’s vision of a 24/7 virtual cardiologist for patients when they’re not in front of their physician is a bit closer with this innovation. Sophisticated AI is used to help analyze the data, which can identify signs of cardiac arrhythmias that should be looked more closely by a cardiologist. The user can then send the ECG trace to their physician for a thorough review.
The new ECG costs $149, and is very quick to pair via Bluetooth with the Kardia app. Battery status of the device can be seen within the app, and if low a replacement card will be sent by the company if it is within a year of the warranty, since the device is not rechargeable.
The readout is comparable to what the Apple Watch ECG feature records, which is also a single-lead ECG. However, AliveCor’s Kardia app is able to identify some types of arrhythmias that the Apple Watch ECG does not.
Six types of arrhythmia are currently detected automatically by AliveCor: AFib, Bradycardia, Tachycardia, PVCs, Sinus Rhythm with SVE, and Sinus Rhythm with Wide QRS. This is currently more arrhythmias than detected by any other personal ECG device on the market.
AliveCor’s previously released product, KardiaMobile 6L, was also a leader in its own category, being the only consumer-oriented 6-lead ECG device (requiring contacts by fingers from both hands, plus a knee or ankle) with a price point of $150.
This newest innovation is really very exciting to consider from many angles, especially its ease of carry and use, to its ability to bring cardiac care to the patient. It will be very interesting to see how these technological advancements change the future of personalized healthcare.
