BioZ AFE reduces size and power for wearables, patches
Article By : Majeed Ahmad
Bioimpedance analysis is a popular and convenient way for healthcare professionals to measure body fat percentage and body composition like respiration and impedance cardiography.
A new analog front-end (AFE) chip claims to significantly reduce the size and extend the life of bioimpedance (BioZ) remote-patient monitoring (RPM) devices that provide clinical-grade vital sign measurements for patient health assessment in wellness wearables and medical-grade patches. Bioimpedance analysis is a popular and convenient way for healthcare professionals to measure body fat percentage and body composition like respiration and impedance cardiography.
MAX30009, an AFE on a chip, monitors a range of BioZ modalities through simultaneous I and Q measurements, 2-electrode (bipolar) and 4-electrode (tetrapolar) configurations. And that enables flexible inputs for BioZ modality measurements as well as a wide range of sample rates to support various medical BioZ measurements.
A wider range, in turn, facilitates more profound insights into patient health by measuring respiration rate, galvanic skin response and electrodermal activity, body composition and fluid analysis, bioimpedance spectroscopy, impedance cardiography, and plethysmography.
Source: Analog Devices Inc. (ADI)
Analog Devices claims that the AFE is 30% smaller than the closest competitor, which enables designers to create vital signs measurement devices that are more comfortable and convenient for consumers and patients. More importantly, MAX30009 reduces power consumption by 62% compared to the closest competitive AFE chip.
That’s crucial for vital signs monitors, chest patches, stress monitors, and wearable healthcare devices operating on a small battery. MAX30009, with its low-power design, also allows use-case power optimization, which reduces the draw on tiny batteries and extends the operational life of BioZ wearables.
This article was originally published on Planet Analog.
Majeed Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief of EDN and Planet Analog, has covered the electronics design industry for more than two decades.