At Sensor Expo 2019 in San Jose, CA, Travis Taylor, an Associate MTS at Maxim Integrated, demonstrates the Health Sensor Platform 2.0 that won the Sensors Expo 2019 Innovative Product of the Year Award. It can measure electrocardiogram (ECG), optical heart rate and temperature. In addition to its wrist-worn display, the measured information can be sent via Bluetooth streaming to a monitor to observe the real-time variations in health parameters including heart rate and heart-rate variability and compare these to oxygen saturation and heart rate from the optical measurements.

The MAXREFDES101# evaluation and development platform integrates a photoplethysmogram (PPG) analog-front-end (AFE) sensor (MAX86141), a biopotential AFE (MAX30001), a human body temperature sensor (MAX30205), a microcontroller (MAX32630), a power-management IC (MAX20303), and a 6-axis accelerometer/gyroscope. In addition to the watch enclosure, the platform includes a biometric sensor hub with an embedded heart-rate algorithm (MAX32664). Design files, firmware and software are also available.

A second in-ear demo has a MAX86160 heart rate monitor built into one of the earphones that are used during jogging or training to determine consistency or improvements over time. The module includes internal LEDs, photo-detector and low-noise electronics with high-dynamic-range ambient light rejection.

With the current attention to wellness and fitness, healthcare product designers can get new ideas by evaluating these demos and by being aware of a wide variety of healthcare semiconductors. Maxim Integrated offers several other health-sensing products (including digital temperature sensors, integrated PPG and ECG, AFEs and more) for wrist-worn, finger-based, chest-strap mounted wearable health applications.