If your heart stops, this smartwatch-AI can call for help
Feb 26, 2025
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Jake Sunshine, a Google researcher, discusses his work on an innovative smartwatch AI designed to detect cardiac arrest and automatically call for help. The AI leverages data from medical procedures to improve detection accuracy and potentially save lives. Sunshine highlights the importance of reducing false alarms while enhancing real-time monitoring in emergencies. Moreover, he touches on advancements in health technology and intriguing discoveries in ancient plant fossils, showcasing a blend of cutting-edge science and historical insights.
Researchers have created an AI algorithm for smartwatches that detects cardiac arrest, potentially enabling faster emergency responses and saving lives.
The smartwatch technology emphasizes responsible emergency service management by minimizing false alarms while enhancing individual safety during cardiac events.
Deep dives
AI Detection of Cardiac Arrest
Researchers are developing a method to detect cardiac arrests using smartwatches, a critical advancement since timely intervention can save lives. Cardiac arrest, often caused by irregular heart rhythms or blockages, can be fatal if not treated quickly. The proposed system utilizes an algorithm that identifies a sudden loss of pulse—indicative of cardiac arrest—while minimizing false alarms that could overwhelm emergency services. Through collaboration with cardiologists, the algorithm was trained using data from patients with implanted cardiac devices to capture real-time changes during cardiac events.
Algorithm Development and Validation
The algorithm has shown a sensitivity of 67% in detecting true cardiac arrest cases, making it a promising tool for emergency response systems. Researchers gathered negative data by analyzing hundreds of thousands of hours from individuals not experiencing cardiac arrest, which helped reduce instances of false calls. The watch's design focuses on public resource management, ensuring that while it can alert emergency services, it does so responsibly and with minimal unnecessary interventions. Its potential applicability to different smartwatch models could expand safety measures for users at risk of such life-threatening events.
Implications for Emergency Response and Wearable Technology
The implications of this technology extend beyond individual safety, potentially revolutionizing how medical emergencies are handled in society. By integrating automated alerts with wearable technology, individuals suffering from cardiac arrests—often unwitnessed—could receive faster assistance, significantly increasing survival rates. While the algorithm is specifically developed for the Google Pixel Watch, there is optimism that with further research and regulatory validation, similar systems can be implemented in diverse devices. This merger of health technology and AI not only showcases innovation but also highlights the importance of an efficient emergency response framework.
00:47 A ‘smart’ way to quickly detect cardiac arrest
Google researchers have developed an AI for a smartwatch that will call for help if its wearer is having a cardiac arrest. Trained, in part, on data gained when patients had their hearts deliberately stopped during a medical procedure, the team’s machine learning algorithm can automatically detect the telltale signs of cardiac arrest. The team think this system could save lives, although more testing is required. "Our hope is that as these capabilities expand it provides a new way to keep people safer,” says Jake Sunshine, one of the researchers behind the study.
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