Cardiograph flatlines on the iPhone and iPad

Cardiograph is a universal app that purports to measure your heart rate via the cameras built into the iPhone or iPad 2. The app has a very slick-looking user interface reminiscent of a real-world electrocardiogram, complete with authentic (and irritating) sound effects, including the always-unnerving sound of a flatline.

The app functions similarly to a pulse oximeter, measuring blood flow through a finger placed over the camera and converting that into a pulse rate. Cardiograph has support for multiple profiles and can keep track of multiple users' heart rates over time -- if you can get it to work, that is.

Unfortunately, I found Cardiograph was very twitchy about properly measuring my heart rate on the iPhone 4, and it didn't work at all on my iPad 2. On the iPhone, the pulse rate seemed to jump wildly between 100 and 0 beats per minute -- my actual resting heart rate is usually between 45-50 BPM -- while on the iPad 2 Cardiograph insisted it was too dark to obtain a good reading even though I was in a well-lit room and holding my finger right in front of a light.

Given Cardiograph's visual polish, it's unfortunate that the basic function the app is supposed to fulfill works so poorly. It's not as though it's impossible for an app like this to work well; I've been successfully using Instant Heart Rate for months. While that app is still less reliable than a chest strap sensor (or even just taking your pulse the old-fashioned way with a finger and a stopwatch), Instant Heart Rate still manages to get an accurate reading much faster and more reliably than Cardiograph.

Actual heart rate at time of reading: 50 BPM

Cardiograph was just released and has a lot of potential, so hopefully developer MacroPinch can fine-tune the measuring capabilities of Cardiograph and get it to the point where the app is more usable. As it stands now, the 1.0 release of Cardiograph doesn't function well enough for me to recommend it.

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Source: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cardiograph/id441079429?mt=8

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iPhone

I found Cardiograph was very twitchy about properly measuring my heart rate on the iPhone 4, and it didn't work at all on my iPad 2.

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billbillybee

Did not work well (at all) on the iPad for me, but worked great on my iPhone 4. The trick is not pressing too hard.

August 05 2011 at 12:34 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ohsnap

If you're as concerned about heart rate and blood pressure as I am then jump over to withings.com and purchase their fantastic blood pressure cuff that hooks up to your iPad/iPhone/iPod and keeps a running log of all sorts of stuff.

August 05 2011 at 8:45 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Braden

A regularly irregular rhythm with rapid rate and a narrow complex is suggestive of atrial fibrillation; however, there is no baseline fibrillation. For that matter there are no p waves, suggesting a junctional rhythm. There is a marked q wave, suggestive of significant previous cardiac ischemia. Also, there is no t wave suggesting that someone has no clue about the actual physiological function of the heart and just wants to look cool, even though the app measures blood flow and an EKG measures electrical activity.

Yeah, it's petty, but as a medical professional, I get annoyed when people use EKG tracing in logos and images (and now, apparently, iPhone apps) without even bothering to learn the most basic aspects of what an EKG tracing actually shows.

Flame away.

August 05 2011 at 2:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jeffrey Stephen

Can someone make a censor the plugs into the Headphone Jack that attaches to the body to get an accurate reading? Or maybe one that uses Blue-Tooth so you can get a heart rate and listen to music while working out.

August 04 2011 at 10:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kraftyman

It seems a whole lot easier just to feel your own pulse...
What next for apps? A reminder to breathe or empty your bladder?

August 04 2011 at 8:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pawel_z_wrocka

"Heart Rate - Free" does the same, shows the correct values and, surprise, surprise, is free.

http://itunes.apple.com/pl/app/heart-rate-free/id401450171?mt=8

I have been using it for quite some time now and it has never missed a beat.

August 04 2011 at 6:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Nixta

Instant Heart Rate (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instant-heart-rate-by-azumio/id395042892?mt=8) works really well - was a little sensitive until a recent update, but now it's both accurate AND holds the measuring much better.

August 04 2011 at 6:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Nixta's comment

Nixta

Duh. Sorry. I should actually read the whole article! Consider this a +1 for Instant Heart Rate then :)

August 04 2011 at 6:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply