Latest news with #LossofPulseDetection
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Loss of Pulse Detection Feature on the Pixel Watch 3 Is Coming to the US
Google has received FDA clearance for its latest safety feature for the Pixel Watch 3, Loss of Pulse Detection. This feature identifies when your pulse is lost and can automatically call emergency services if you're unresponsive. It's a first-of-its-kind feature not available on other smartwatches. Google announced the Loss of Pulse Detection feature in 2024 for select EU countries. It's since been available in 14 countries. Now that Google has received the green light from the FDA, it can be released in the US. This opt-in feature is expected to start rolling at the end of March. The watch uses an AI-based algorithm and signals from the existing multipath heart rate sensor -- the flashing green light on the back of the watch-- to monitor your pulse. If it suspects your pulse was lost, additional sensor signals will be activated to search for the pulse or identify movement. When nothing is detected, the watch prompts you with an initial check-in. If you don't respond to the message on the watch and no motion is detected, a loud alarm will play, and a countdown will appear on the screen. Then, an emergency services call is placed on your LTE smartwatch or phone. An automated message about the loss of pulse and your location will be shared with emergency operators. While the Loss of Pulse Detection feature wasn't made for a specific health condition, this is another feature added to the Pixel 3's impressive catalog of safety and health features, such as fall detection and irregular heart rhythm notifications. As a Google Pixel user, I'm happy to see another feature in the medical safety space, especially for one in which immediate intervention is necessary.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A key Pixel Watch 3 tool will finally arrive six months late in the U.S.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The FDA has signaled approval for the Loss of Pulse Detection feature on the Pixel Watch 3. It detects if the user is experiencing "primary cardiac arrest" or "respiratory or circulatory failure." Loss of Pulse Detection was previously available in 14 European countries, but will not arrive in the U.S. until late March 2025. A key draw to the Pixel Watch 3 is its Fitbit-branded health sensors for detecting heart issues. On Wednesday, Google announced that the FDA has given clearance for Loss of Pulse Detection to be used on its smartwatch in the United States, signaling that the feature is accurate enough to be trusted on a consumer device. As the name implies, Loss of Pulse Detection can "detect when you've experienced a loss of pulse." It will then vibrate with a check-in message before starting an alarm to alert people nearby; if you continue to be unresponsive, it will attempt to call 911 and send an automated message with your location to the emergency responder. Google heavily advertised this feature when launching the Pixel Watch 3 in September, but while it arrived quickly in 14 countries in the EU and United Kingdom, Google had to get regulatory approval before launching it in the United States. Since this isn't an active feature, many American Watch 3 buyers may have assumed it was available. Thankfully, Google announced that "we'll begin rolling it out in the U.S. at the end of March," so we won't have too much longer to wait. This feature won't be available on older Pixel Watch models, however. The Pixel Watch 3 sells in 32 countries, meaning a majority of them still don't have Loss of Pulse Detection. The current list is Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; Google claims that "additional countries will be added as regulatory clearance is obtained." While this feature only becomes necessary in drastic circumstances, the Pixel Watch 3 also has more preventative heart health tools. It has an ECG to detect signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) during active checks, as well as automatic irregular heart rhythm notifications to catch warning signs throughout the day. Plus, the Watch 3 can detect if the user experiences a sudden fall or a car crash, with a similar method of calling emergency services if the wearer cannot respond to prompts. Among Android smartwatches, the Pixel Watch 3 is one of the most accurate when it comes to heart rate data, both generally and during workouts, so we're happy to have this feature arriving for worst-case scenarios. And we're curious what new health features will come to the Pixel Watch 4.
