Less than two weeks ago, we reported that the iOS 18 code hinted at the arrival of future AirPods to measure heart rate, both in the highly anticipated AirPods Pro 3 and in the next generation of Powerbeats Pro.
After the rumors and the clues, here is a new patent which corroborates this thesis, and which goes even further. The company is reportedly planning a health sensor to not only measure heart rate but also detect heart disease.
Heartbeat
The code found in the iOS 18 beta referred to new wireless headphones with a heart rate sensor, all linked to Apple Health. An unambiguous string of characters was found in a system component that manages the configuration of the brand’s headphones, such as AirPods and Beats. So it won’t just be the AirPods Pro 3 that will benefit, probably also the next generation of Powerbeats Pro.
Detection of heart disease
Today, a patent application signed by Apple was spotted on the site USPTO. This patent describes how microphones placed in the ear canal could be used to identify signs of “cardiac pathology”, i.e. heart disease.
By capturing cardiac activity and applying a predictive algorithm, the system can detect problems such as bradycardia, tachycardia or blocked arteries, and potentially alert users through visual or audible notifications. The technology also uses machine learning to analyze cardiac signals, compare them to known disease signatures and assess condition severity, integrating data from multiple devices and sources to improve accuracy.
A device including a microphone may be worn in or on a user’s ear. A microphone signal generated by the microphone can be processed to determine a user’s cardiac activity. An indication of cardiac pathology may be detected by applying a predictive algorithm to at least cardiac activity.
Cardiac pathologies include a series of conditions related to a person’s heart, such as, for example, blood vessel diseases (e.g. coronary heart disease), heart rhythm problems (e.g. arrhythmias), heart defects (for example, congenital heart defects), heart valve diseases, heart muscle diseases, heart infections, or other heart conditions (…).
Processing the microphone signal may include applying a filter (e.g., a low pass filter) to the microphone signal. The microphone signals may be processed to detect an infrasonic signal in the microphone signal. Additionally, or alternatively, processing the microphone signal to determine cardiac activity may include detecting an ultrasonic signal in the microphone signal. The microphone signal can be processed to detect a signal indicating a heartbeat or other movement, such as blood flow, which provides information about the heart.
Quite “easily”, bradycardia (abnormally low heart rate) and tachycardia (abnormally high heart rate) can be detected. But more sophisticated detection is also possible as explained in the patent application.
For example, the first heart activity and the second heart activity can be compared. Comparing the first heart activity and the second heart activity may include detecting a difference in force between the first heart activity and the second heart activity. Additionally, or alternatively, comparing the first cardiac activity and the second cardiac activity may include detecting a difference in transit time between the first cardiac activity and the second cardiac activity.
Detecting carotid artery obstruction may include using an artificial neural network to detect carotid artery obstruction based on the first cardiac activity and the second cardiac activity.
The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to launch next year, likely at the same time as the iPhone 17. Is this something that could make you check out again, even if you already have the excellent AirPods Pro 2?
