What is Photoplethysmography (PPG)?
Vital values can be measured in different ways. In the hospital, nurses normally do this at the bedside three times a day. In the home situation, patients can take a measurement themselves a few times a day with all sorts of separate devices. The results you get are so-called 'spot measurements': snapshots of the vital values. These can then be sent to a platform via a mobile app.
viQtor does this differently. The vital values are measured continuously on the upper arm, simple and very accurate. This measurement is done with the sensor technology of viQtor via photoplethysmography, abbreviated PPG. This technique has been used for decades to measure changes in blood circulation. PPG is a non-invasive technique; that is, no instruments are inserted into the body. You don't notice or feel anything.
How does PPG work?
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive technology that measures changes in blood volume beneath the skin using light. It is commonly found in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and pulse oximeters. A light-emitting diode (LED) shines light into the skin, and a photodetector measures the amount of light that is reflected or transmitted. As the heart beats, the amount of blood flowing through the blood vessels changes, causing the amount of detected light to vary.
The PPG sensor converts these light changes into a waveform that represents the pulse. This waveform is analyzed to calculate heart rate, heart rate variability, and sometimes blood oxygen levels. Reflective PPG is used in wearable devices, while transmissive PPG is commonly used in fingertip pulse oximeters. Although PPG is accurate and convenient, its performance can be affected by movement, poor sensor contact, and low blood circulation.
What can we measure?
viQtor uses photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to continuously measure several vital signs by detecting changes in blood volume beneath the skin. The device can measure heart rate (pulse rate), respiratory rate, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) in real time. These measurements help healthcare professionals monitor a patient's condition and detect signs of clinical deterioration early.
In addition to these PPG-based measurements, viQtor also provides skin temperature, activity monitoring, and fall detection using other built-in sensors. The device is worn on the upper arm and automatically transmits the collected data to a secure cloud platform for continuous monitoring using the IoT network. This allows clinicians to track patient trends without needing frequent manual measurements, improving both efficiency and patient safety.