the first watch to detect atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea

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Withings has just unveiled a product that is at the epicenter of its positioning: a smart health connected watch with hands, a small POLED screen, 30 days of battery life, a premium design (sapphire crystal and stainless steel) … capable of capture 14 different data. Like the Move ECG, it performs medical measurements with an integrated ECG and now it detects sleep apnea by oximetry.

Last year, Withings announced the Move ECG: one of the first smart health connected watches to integrate an ECG with three electrodes and the electronic chip for data analysis that goes with it. This sensor can detect cardiac arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation.

This year, Withings lifts the sails on the ScanWatch. It is an evolution of the Move ECG, we therefore find the electrocardiogram, but with a new SpO2 sensor to estimate arterial oxygen saturation. More specifically, this ScanWatch can measure the level of oxygen in the blood via a sensor on the back of the watch.

First watch for sleep apnea screening

This new sensor works theoretically like a cardiac sensor: it picks up precise frequencies to detect certain disorders and diseases. This is the case of sleep apnea syndrome which affects millions of French people.

As its name suggests, it is a sleep disorder linked by an arrest of respiratory flow (apnea) or a decrease in this flow (hypopnea). This affects the quality of life, and can even have very serious health consequences. This syndrome is the cause and the consequence of cardiovascular disorders and arterial hypertension, because the brain is less well supplied.

Withings ScanWatch

The Withings ScanWatch therefore detects diseases that are difficult to detect during checks by a doctor. This is the case with sleep apnea syndrome but also with arrhythmia, which is not permanent and which can therefore be missed during a consultation.

The ScanWatch measures a total of 14 data, such as altitude to motivate users to climb stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Regarding data related to health, the French manufacturer wanted to reassure: health sensors require specific validations on the American and European market. These validations go through a technical file which documents both the mechanical part of the watch but also the on-board software. For Withings, this requires carrying out clinical studies that demonstrate the performance of the product against more standardized tools. For sleep apnea, for example, a polysomnographic recording is generally recommended to detect this disorder: an expensive examination and often accompanied by long waiting times for the patient.

Visually, the Withings ScanWatch is more premium than the Move ECG, it is closer to the Withings Steel HR from a design point of view. It incorporates a small PMOLED display screen, but the latter now has better definition (and therefore better pixel density). We find sapphire glass, stainless steel, a battery that promises 30 days of autonomy, water resistance… as well as a new crown to facilitate navigation (as on some Samsung watches).

The ScanWatch will be available in Europe in the second quarter of 2020, starting at 249.95 euros for the 38mm model and 299.95 euros for the 42mm model.

One goal: leader in smart health connected health

One of the challenges for Withings in the coming years is to be able to integrate a blood pressure monitoring into a watch (they already have a consumer blood pressure monitoring). It is a more invasive device, it is very difficult to assess blood pressure on the wrist.

The French manufacturer, which had been bought by Nokia then sold to its founder, has given itself the mission of being a pioneer in these health-oriented wearable products.

Health systems are adopting these products which allow doctors to have more reliable data in order to provide a more personalized response to patients, it is also a product of great interest to insurers and pharmaceutical groups. The latter can more easily carry out their studies with more precise monitoring and obviously a less expensive implementation.

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