
MediaTek Launches 6-in-1 Biosensor for Smartphones - walterbell
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12153/mediatek-launches-sensio-mt6381-biosensor
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userbinator
I expect these to show up in cheap/unbranded Chinese phones first, where for
the longest time you could get one with a full complement of sensors,
removable storage, dual SIM, removable battery, and other useful functionality
like a headphone jack, for a fraction of the price of the bigger brands ---
some with even fewer features. They were basically all cosmetic variations on
the Mediatek reference design.

Now it seems even those "generic" brands are trying to "differentiate" by
_removing_ features, but it's unlikely they would try to do that with combo
sensor modules like this.

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shasheene
Wearable health monitors are really the future.

It's a marketer's dream: arrhythmia causes young healthy people sometimes
suddenly drop dead without any prior symptoms. It happened to Sheryl
Sandberg's husband. Sudden cardiac death kills 600,000 people per year with
50% having no prior cardiac disease. [1]

Hopefully the Apple Heart Study turns out to allow early detection of
arrhythmia. Apple will end up selling millions of watches based on people's
(myself included) mildly irrational fears.

[1]
ttp://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/cardiology/cardiac-
arrhythmias/

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xyzzy_plugh
No, Apple won't, at least not until I can use their watch without having to
own the rest of their suite of products.

Fitbit, on the other hand, has no choice but to adapt to survive. They may not
be the leading edge, but they'll sell more units than Apple.

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Analemma_
> Fitbit, on the other hand, has no choice but to adapt to survive. They may
> not be the leading edge, but they'll sell more units than Apple.

This presupposes that Fitbit _will_ survive, which is not at all a given. The
much more likely possibility is that they just go out of business, which is
the usual fate of single-device companies when Apple enters their market
(Nokia, Pebble, etc.)

I'm curious when you expect Fitbit's turnaround to occur. The market sure
doesn't seem to like their odds against the Apple Watch:
[https://imgur.com/a/LeEa6](https://imgur.com/a/LeEa6)

~~~
threeseed
Fitbit should survive so long as there are people like myself who prefer
mechanical watches. And with vintage watches having a renaissance in the last
few years the number of people going mechanical could increase.

And so there is a market for health devices that are single purpose just
focusing on health. Problem of course is they are susceptible to cheap,
Chinese based entrants.

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jlj
What are the benefits of having these features on a chip versus handling via
software and the regular CPU chip? The measurement of time series data does
not seem computationally intensive, but the analysis of the data could be.

~~~
userbinator
This is just a chip with the analog functionality, AFAIK the analysis is still
done in software.

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carbocation
Is there any available data on how blood pressure is sensed with these
devices?

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pella
_" The module uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) in conjunction with a light
sensitive sensor to measure the absorption of red and infrared light by the
user’s fingertips. "_

see [https://www.mediatek.com/features/sensio-biosensor-
module](https://www.mediatek.com/features/sensio-biosensor-module)

~~~
calvano915
A bit deeper, the PPG (photoplethysmogram) signal is measured by the user
holding sensors on the phone with both hands. Using math I don't understand,
the chip can then calculate a fairly accurate (within a couple mmHg) blood
pressure. There are a couple papers describing the method on the first page of
this search:

[https://encrypted.google.com/search?{google:acceptedSuggesti...](https://encrypted.google.com/search?{google:acceptedSuggestion}oq=how+optical+blood+pressure+detection+works&q=how+optical+blood+pressure+detection+works)

~~~
carbocation
Thanks - that's impressive agreement:

[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4986809/figure/...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4986809/figure/g011/)

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Abishek_Muthian
I wonder whether this HR sensor would be any different from the Fitbit sensor
which causes me pain in about 30 minutes of wearing.

I belong to the select group of people who's having issues with HR sensors on
their skin.

I've documented my case here - [https://abishekmuthian.com/my-experience-with-
fitbit-charge-...](https://abishekmuthian.com/my-experience-with-fitbit-
charge-hr-numbness-tingling-and-pain-fec85d41d165)

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goldenkey
Its psychosomatic. Nothing a heart rate sensor does (either blinking lights)
or by completion of a passive circuit, will disturb the body. I am so
confident I encourage you to have a friend place the watch when on, versus
off, on your back. You wont be able to discern the difference. Please see a
mental health expert. My brother has the same neuerosis and it doesn't need to
be a handicap, it doesn't need to turn you into a conspiracy theorist.

~~~
Abishek_Muthian
This is one of the reasons I wrote about, either you genuinely believe that
all those who are having issues with the HR are due to mental illness or you
have a vested interested in deliberately claiming so.

~~~
goldenkey
I have no vested interest other than helping a fellow human being. My brother
has the same nuerosis and has seen benefits from seeing a psychiatrist. I
would suggest you do the same. It is almost impossible to disbelieve your own
intuition but believe me, there is nothing that these HR sensors do that would
cause a symptomatic response by your body. Do the test I suggested..be
scientific. The mind is hard to deny so use the scientific method. Good luck
friend.

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pella
video:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb6orp60L8M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb6orp60L8M)
( 2.44m )

