Apple iWatch to Predict If You're About to Have a Heart Attack?

Apple's upcoming iWatch may predict if you're about to have a heart attack, according to The Chronicle.

Tomlinson Holman, who Apple reportedly hired in 2011 to "provide audio direction", is a renowned audio engineer who invented THX and 10.2 surround sound. Holman has apparently been working on sensor technology to predict heart attacks by studying the sound blood makes as it flows through arteries.

Apple is exploring ways to measure noise "turbulence" as it applies to blood flow. The company wants to develop software and sensors that can predict heart attacks by identifying the sound blood makes as it tries to move through an artery clogged with plaque, the source said.


Recent iWatch rumors have predicted that the device will monitor your vital signs and fitness level via an array of sensors. A report from two days ago suggested that the smartwatch will use optoelectronics to monitor a wearer's heart rate and blood oxygen levels.

Apple has been hiring numerous medical and fitness experts to help with the project. FDA records reveal that in December a high level Apple team led by Jeff Williams met with FDA chief Dr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, who oversees agency approval for medical devices, to discuss "mobile medical applications." At this point it's unclear if Apple met with the FDA to ensure it receives or doesn't need FDA approval.

The iWatch is expected to work with a new iOS 8 application called 'Healthbook' that will store fitness statistics including steps taken, calories burned, and miles walked and vital signs including blood pressure, hydration levels, heart rate, and possibly glucose levels.

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