Polar’s new patent: Strap for abdominal fat & heart rate monitoring
Polar Electro Oy has filed a patent for an innovative wearable device that aims to provide both body composition and heart activity measurements. The patent, filed earlier this year, describes a system that can be worn around the torso and operate in two distinct modes. Essentially a chest strap.
In the first mode, when worn around the abdominal area, the device measures body composition, specifically focusing on quantifying fat tissue in the abdominal region. This is particularly interesting as it potentially offers a more direct measurement of visceral fat – the type of fat stored around internal organs that has been linked to various health issues.
The second mode activates when the device is worn around the chest. In this position, it functions as a typical heart rate monitor, measuring heart activity and computing relevant parameters. The company has a range of these in its portfolio.
What sets this patent apart is the dual functionality within a single wearable device. Users could potentially switch between measuring abdominal fat composition and monitoring heart activity by simply repositioning the device on their body.
The system described in the patent includes a sensor device with measurement circuitry for both body composition and heart activity, along with a strap for securing it around the torso. It also mentions a processor and memory for computing and storing the measured data.
An interesting additional feature is the potential integration with a “training computer”, i.e. a smartwatch. This allows for more comprehensive body composition measurements by incorporating data from electrodes that contact the user’s limbs.
Our takeaway
We certainly have not seen anything like this to date- a heart rate chest strap that can be used to estimate body composition. Some smartwatches claim a similar ability, but they are far from accurate. Even smart scales struggle with these types of measurements. Plus they typically measure the body composition of whole lower body or upper body rather than identifying abdominal fat with any great precision.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
As always, it’s worth noting that patents don’t always translate directly into consumer products. But this filing suggests that Polar is exploring ways to offer more comprehensive health monitoring in a single, versatile device. If developed, such a product could provide users with a more holistic view of their health. If and when the product sees the light of day, it will be interesting to see if it provides better accuracy at these types of measurements than other devices on the market.
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