MediaTek Inc. claim their MediaTek Sensio™ is the first 6-in-1 smartphone biosensor module. Sensio is the company’s health monitoring solution enabling easy to track heart rate information, blood pressure trends, peripheral oxygen saturation levels and more. Available as an embedded module in smartphones, MediaTek Sensio permits consumers to quickly check and monitor physical wellness on a device they use most – their smartphone.

The MediaTek Sensio MT6381 is a software and module solution designed specifically to deliver health data, consisting of optical, electrical and processing components. The customizable, compact solution means device manufacturers have the flexibility to embed the MediaTek Sensio module directly into all types of smartphones, as opposed to using multiple sensors. With MediaTek Sensio, manufacturers are able to develop proprietary applications or leverage third-party applications and developer add-ons.

The module uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) in conjunction with a light sensitive sensor to measure the absorption of red and infrared light by the user’s fingertips. By touching a device’s sensors and electrodes with your fingertips, MediaTek Sensio is said to create a closed loop between your heart and the biosensor to measure ECG and PPG waveforms.

Sensio reportedly delivers six key health data points in about 60 seconds:
  • Heart-rate
  • Heart-Rate Variability – variation in the time between heartbeats.
  • Blood Pressure Trends.
  • Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) – amount of oxygen in the blood.
  • Electrocardiography (ECG).
  • Photoplethysmography (PPG) –change in volume of blood.

The MediaTek Sensio MT6381 includes:
  • Integrated R and IR LEDs for reflective PPG measurement + 1-channel ECG analog front-end
  • Compact 6.8 mm x 4.93 mm x 1.2 mm OLGA 22-pin package
  • Total External BOM: 4 caps + 2 electrodes
  • I2C /SPI digital interface  

MediaTek Sensio will be available beginning in early 2018 — hey that’s right now? Fingers crossed …