Maxim has announced a new version of its health sensor platform that reduces development time for wearable medical and health devices by six months

Maxim Integrated Products announced the launch of the Health Sensor Platform 3.0 (HSP 3.0), reducing development time by at least six months. The wearable wrist reference design is MAXREFDES104 and is used to monitor blood oxygen (SpO2), electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, body temperature and exercise. Its algorithms provide clinical-level information such as heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate (RR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), body temperature, sleep quality, and stress levels. The reference design enables wearable product designers to start data collection immediately, saving at least six months compared to designing these devices from scratch. The HSP 3.0 is designed to be worn on the wrist and is also suitable for other devices in the form of dry electrodes, such as chest strips and smart rings.

Compared to its industry-leading predecessor, the HSP 3.0 adds optical SpO2 measurement and dry electrode measurement capabilities in an integrated ECG solution. As a result, the platform could enable terminal programmes to monitor heart and breathing problems for the management of conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), infectious diseases such as COVID-19, sleep apnea and arterial fibrillation (AFib). The reference design is 40% smaller than its predecessor and features an upgraded microcontroller, power supply, security management and detection IC. The reference design includes a complete optical and electrode design that, combined with the provided algorithms, can meet clinical level measurement requirements.

Maxim Integrated is a leader in wearable health and remote patient monitoring technologies that support personalized health product design and help users achieve better predictive and preventive solutions. Healthcare professionals and end users are using the wealth of information provided by these wearable solutions to be more proactive in managing chronic diseases, diagnosing acute illnesses such as COVID-19, and improving preventive health care and overall health. As more and more detection methods are included in wearable devices, device developers are able to take full advantage of multiple measurement methods to provide users with more accurate and effective solutions.

HSP 3.0 or MAXREFDES104# includes the following sensor, power management, microcontroller, and algorithm products:

● MAX86176: The lowest noise optical volume pulse wave method (PPG) and electrical ECG analog front end (AFE) provide 110dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to increase SpO2 saturation detection capability; Common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) greater than 110dB to support dry electrode ECG applications.

● MAX20360: Highly integrated battery and power management IC (PMIC) optimized for use in advanced wearable health monitoring equipment. Devices include Maxim Integrated's high-precision ModelGauge™ m5 EZ voltmeter, a sophisticated haptic driver, and a unique low-noise up/down converter to maximize SNR and reduce power consumption for optical biodetection.

● MAX32666: Bluetooth enabled ultra-low power microcontroller with two Arm® Cortex®-M4F cores and additional SmartDMA, which allows for independent running of the BLE stack so that two main cores are used to run primary tasks. In addition, the microcontroller integrates a complete security suite and memory error correction code (ECC) to greatly improve system reliability.

● MAX32670: Ultra-low power microcontroller for Maxim Integrated's leading pulse rate, SpO2, HRV, respiration rate, sleep quality monitoring and pressure monitoring algorithms. The microcontroller can be configured as a sensor concentrator (supporting hardware and algorithms) or an algorithm concentrator (supporting multiple algorithms). The MAX32670 seamlessly supports the sensor functions required by customers, including managing the MAX86176 PPG and ECG sensor AFE, and providing raw or computed data externally.

● MAX30208: Low-power, high-precision digital temperature sensor in a 2mm x 2mm compact package. The operating current of the device is 64% lower than that of comparable competing devices. The device reads the temperature at the top of the package and can be mounted on a flexible cable or PCB, making it easy to design into a wearable device. The MAX30208 has an accuracy of 0.1°C, which meets clinical temperature requirements.