The Digital Care Pad and Heating Mat both use BCG (ballistocardiography) technology, which is a non-invasive, non-contact, convenient means of monitoring cardiovascular function.
With the use of Polyvinylidene fluoride sensors (PVDF) the BCG signals are collected when a person is lying on the pad/mat to determine the time interval between heartbeats.
This data can then be used to calculate real time heart rate, blood pressure and other vital signs to give you a health report.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the amount of time between each heartbeat. It is used as a measure of how well your body recovers from stress and physical exercise.
If your heart rate is highly variable, this is usually evidence that your body can adapt to many kinds of changes. People with high heart rate variability are usually less stressed and happier.
In general, low heart rate variability is considered a sign of current or future health problems because it shows your body is less resilient and struggles to handle changing situations.
In simple terms, a BCG is a measure of the forces generated by the heart and measures mass movements; i.e the mass of the blood which is circulating through the body.
As blood is ejected into the larger vessels, the centre of mass moves towards the head of the body. Blood is then forced downwards through the body to the peripheral vessels further away from the heart so the centre of mass of the body moves towards the feet.
The BCG tracks the a recoil upwards and downwards with each heartbeat in a repeating pattern
Heart rate variability is where the amount of time between your heartbeats fluctuates slightly. These variations are very small, adding or subtracting a fraction of a second between beats.
HRV can be a useful indicator of how well your body handles stress and other factors.
While heart rate variability is still present in healthy individuals, it can also indicate the presence of health problems such as heart conditions and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
HRV changes throughout sleep cycles, with lower HRV during non-REM sleep and higher HRV during REM sleep.
A low HRV score during sleep can indicate sleep disorders or health issues.
HRV changes throughout sleep cycles, with lower HRV during non-REM sleep and higher HRV during REM sleep.
A low HRV score during sleep can indicate sleep disorders or health issues.
In the light sleep stage, HRV can remain relatively stable or slightly decrease compared to when you are awake. However, it still generally stays at a moderate level.
The deep sleep stage is characterized by a slower heart rate and lower HRV. Deep sleep promotes relaxation, physical restoration, and recovery, so getting enough of it can contribute to higher HRV.
During REM sleep, which is associated with vivid dreaming and increased brain activity, HRV typically increases.
A consistently low HRV during sleep indicates that the variation in time intervals between heartbeats is reduced throughout the night and can be a sign that the user suffers with sleep apnoea.
HRV can be used to track how well an users body is recovering after a period of exercise.
After intense exercise, HRV tends to decrease, and it should gradually return to baseline levels as the user recovers from their workout.
If the user’s HRV remains low after their standard recovery time, it may be a sign to reduce their intensity of the next workout, or take a rest day to ensure they are fully recovered and to prevent any injury.
Thus, HRV can be a useful tool to formulate training plans which are adapted to a users’ individual needs and recovery rates.
Studies suggest that reduced HRV is associated with a higher risk of dementia and the decline in cognitive functions.
A lower HRV baseline is associated with a reduced autonomic nervous system (ANS), particularly a decline in parasympathetic activity, which are both indicators for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
For sufferers of dementia, where their HRV would normally be lower, any increase in their HRV could be an indicator that they are stressed or agitated. This can be common in dementia sufferers as they can have impaired capacity to regulate their emotions.
When a person is in pain, their sympathetic nervous system (often associated with stress) becomes more dominant. This often leads to reduced heart rate variability.
Monitoring HRV over time can give an insight into the patient’s physiological state and how their body is recovering from pain or injury.
Changes in HRV can then be monitored to guide treatment and to monitor progress. For example, if a patient has had pain management intervention (such as physio or other therapies) and their HRV has increased, it might suggest the body is recovering and has had a good response to the pain management offered.
The phycological aspects of pain can also be monitored. HRV is connection to emotional factors, such as stress and agitation, which can all influence pain management.
Typically, HRV naturally decreases with age as it coincides with the decline in the parasympathetic nervous system.
This natural decline can be exacerbated by age related diseases (such as cardio-vascular problems which impact the blood flow) or by medication the user may be taking.
It’s important to remember that HRV varies significantly individuals so a low HRV doesn’t necessarily signify poor health in older adults. With the algorithms in the software building a baseline score, each individual user can be assessed based on their own heart health.
Far infrared heating is a type of radiant heating that uses infrared radiation to warm objects. They work by converting electricity into radiant heat and is similar to how the sun heats the environment.
Infrared heating works by directly heating an object, rather then the air in the room. With this being used in the heated care mat, it allows for the heat to be directly passed into the body.
This makes it ideal for those who suffer with arthritis, muscle spasms, and back pain and other joint pain in the body.
Ideally, the devices work best on standard coil or foam mattresses as it creates a firm contact between the pad and the user.
However, providing the movement intervals of the air flow are spread apart, then the mat can pick up the user’s vital signs signals in these gaps where there is no movement in the mattress.
Short term HRV analysis only requires 5 minutes to gather enough data for real time monitoring and quick results. Over the course of a night, numerous 5 minute intervals can be recorded to build up a full heart health profile.
