Capability: Blood Pressure Measurement and Heart Rate Measurement

Devices & Integrations Capability Type Suggestions
1

This sub-category would appear to be somewhat moribund to the extent that I hadn’t noticed it before. I would hope Samsung have plans for a formal capability suggestion procedure but I haven’t heard anything yet, so …

I note the existence of ‘Body Weight Measurement’ (and also BMI) as a ‘proposed’ capability for the ‘new’ environment though sadly it isn’t also listed in the capabilities for the Classic app. I guess that might mean I can’t actually exploit it yet? There are a number of health and fitness metrics that could prove useful, and one leaps out as being of obvious use now, given the devices already out there.

So category Blood Pressure Measurement would be my suggestion, with the attributes systolic and diastolic using the units mmHg (and any others that might exist out there that I am not familiar with).

I’d also suggest heartRate as an attribute but I guess that should probably be a separate Heart Rate Measurement capability,

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2

I would hesitate to use smartthigns as a health monitoring device. Take a look at some of the outages recently. You really want this system monitoring your heart rate or bp?
Plus, anything to do with heart rate or bp would have to be classified as a medical device and there is strict control over those in the US by the FDA. So, the odds of Samsung going through that trouble are pretty slim as it is a VERY expensive and lengthy process.

3

I wouldn’t use many devices that claim to measure heart rate as health monitoring devices.

I will however use all sorts of devices and apps to report and forward the readings from devices I have confidence in.

4

Don’t be so sure that they can’t get around the rules.

A company featured at Samsung Developer Conference was promoting an App (that Samsung helped with a contest or grant or something…) that measured hearing loss. They apparently had sufficient disclaimers and/or approvals … at least in some countries.

5

Get around the rules? We’re talking FDA here, there is no getting around that. Hearing loss is a lot different than heart rate or BP. If your heart rate monitor goes on the fritz you could die. Now we’re starting to move into my field…I work in the medical device sector so I’m steeped in this stuff every day.

6

The FDA doesn’t regulate outside of the United States.

7

No…but Samsung sells in the US. And if they want to be in this market then they would need FDA Clearance. And there are other regulating bodies in Europe for medical devices. So they would have to get clearance through them as well. They only way this would ever be viable is if they bought a medical device company. There’s just too much infrastructure needed that they don’t have presently.
Plus, you really want ST monitoring your heart rate?!? What happens if there’s an outage? Oh well, sorry you’re dead but your internet was down. At-home heart rate monitoring is completely independent of any outside service or device.
And if we’re just talking apple watch style heart rate devices…well, there you go, you already have them. Why would you need ST to get involved.

I would equate this to the guy who wanted to automate his garbage disposal. Yeah, you can…but would you really want to?

8

Apple and other smart watches and fitness trackers monitor your pulse - I fail to see how this is different.

Besides - the smart device would be some other company that included its own App and backups, etc.

This Capability Request is still valid as a way to connect to SmartThings for secondary non-critical tracking.

9

Then we’re just going to have to disagree on that one. Your watch is not a heart monitor…it is a fitness tracker. What is the point of your heart monitoring your heart rate? To report if it stops. that’s a far cry from a smartwatch.