A silent but dreadful killer, heart disease claimed the lives of more than 2 million U.S. residents in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although preventable and increasingly manageable, it remains among the leading causes of death. Cardiac function monitoring is key to both the diagnosis and effective management of heart problems. As technology advances and more portable options, such as single-chip heart rate detectors, become available, the hope that more lives will be preserved grows.
Definition
Your heart rate reflects the number of times your heart beats per minute. You can measure it by feeling your pulse at the wrist, neck, groin or top of the foot, where arteries run close to your skin. The resting heart rate normally ranges from 60 to 90 beats per minute. However, it can vary with your activity level, stress, emotions, body temperature, position and body size. Athletes often have pulse rates below 60 because their hearts can pump more blood per beat than less fit individuals.
Function
A heart rate monitoring system typically consists of a transmitter and a receiving or "controlling" unit. The transmitter is usually connected to your skin, but some heart rate detectors use microwave Doppler radar technology to measure chest wall movement and help derive heart rate in real time without direct contact with your body. The transmitter picks up signals from your heart and relays them to the receiving unit for processing and display. You may, for instance, be familiar with the wristwatch-like heart rate monitors, which continuously display your heart rate without you having to perform any calculation.
Mechanism
Heart rate monitors may use radio electronics integrated within a single chip. Microchip microcontrollers in receiving units help to collect, process and store data. Heart signals are fed to a converter within a single chip microcontroller prior to display. Granted, implementing a heart monitoring system on a single chip reduces the memory size of the hardware. In other words, the data storage capacity is significantly smaller than hospital grade monitors, for instance. Important advantages, however, are the overall reduced weight and size, reduced power consumption and lower cost.
Benefits
Doppler radar based detectors only work within specific distance ranges, but their non-contact sensors make them less likely to cause skin irritation than detectors that require you to connect cables to your chest. In general, however, single chip heart rate detectors can be useful for home monitoring, especially for infants and adults with sleep apnea or heart disorders. Their portability also allows you to keep track of heart rate changes during every day activity. As exercise partners, they provide immediate feedback to help you to track your progress, pace yourself and adjust your workouts' frequency and intensity.
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