Thanks to Swiss technology: For the first time, blood pressure can be measured precisely with a smartphone

An anesthesiologist, professor and chief physician at the University Hospital of Lausanne, he is one of the brains behind the OptiBP application of the newly founded Biospectal in Lausanne. The first smartphone app to measure blood pressure and meet the highest medical standards.

There are already other applications that can measure blood pressure on smartphones. However, the process is more complex or the measurement accuracy cannot keep up with standard cuff measuring devices.

“I have long been interested in the question of how high-precision measurements in the operating room can be transferred to daily medical life and ubiquitous smartphones,” Schoettker says in an interview with Blick. In the operating room, blood pressure is measured using an inserted catheter; this is done more precisely than anywhere else.

Common disease high blood pressure

Biospectal has developed an app that measures blood pressure using a smartphone camera, based on nearly two million measurements taken in the operating room. Just hold your finger on the camera; The measurement result will be ready after 30 seconds. “Our app is the first certified solution that allows blood pressure to be measured anytime, anywhere,” says Schoettker. “To demonstrate its suitability for daily use, we tested it in countries such as South Africa, Tanzania, Indonesia and Bangladesh, among other things, in close cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO).”

The app, currently only available on the Google Play Store in Switzerland, is much more than a technical gimmick. “High blood pressure is a common disease that, if left untreated, leads to many secondary diseases and incurs high costs. It has been proven for many years that self-measurement of blood pressure, along with blood pressure measurements made by a doctor, is important in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of high blood pressure.” CSS health insurance company writes on the request. WHO estimates that the cost of “common disease” high blood pressure is approximately 370 billion dollars a year. guesses.

Not exactly cheap

Switzerland will be the first test market for the OptiBP application, which will soon be available on the Apple Store. “If all goes well, the app will be available across Europe in the second half of the year,” said Schoettker, outlining Biospectal’s expansion plans.

Not only is the technology behind the app unique to Switzerland, but also the price: the annual subscription fee is 90 francs. Good cuff measuring devices are available online for a one-off price between 100 and 150 francs. The application eliminates the tedious task of entering measured values ​​into long paper tables. The data is stored on the smartphone and can be transmitted to the doctor or other medical facilities if necessary.