The ECG has come a long way since Nobel prize winning Willem Einthoven invented the first practical electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) in 1895. The 3 lead string galvanometer also known as the Einthoven galvanometer he introduced in 1901 was 7 metres long, required 5 operators and weighed over 270 kiliograms!
Although the original “Einthoven triangle” configuration which refers to the imaginary inverted equilateral triangle centered on the chest and the points being the standard leads on the arms and leg was chosen largely for convenience it is still in use today.
I wonder what Einthoven would make of the new AliveCor KardiaMobile 6L PMS Instruments have launched today?
Things have definitely come on in the 159 years since he was born.
The new AliveCor KardiaMobile 6L records a six lead 30 second clinically validated ECG using a smartphone or tablet and App.
At 9cm long and weighing 24 g the KardiaMobile 6L has two electrodes on the top and one on the bottom.
The two electrodes on the top are for your fingers, and the one on the bottom to contact the skin of your left leg.
To record a 6 lead ECG hold the KardiaMobile 6L in your hands, placing your fingers on the front electrodes then touch the third electrode to the skin of your left knee or ankle. It’s that easy.
Why six leads?
The 2 fingers and left leg configuration allow the KardiaMobile 6L to record Lead I, II, II, aVL, aVR, and aVF ECG leads which are known as the frontal plane leads recording vertical and lateral electrical forces. By looking at the axis through the heart each of the individual 6 leads records the ECG from a slightly different perspective giving 6 times more information than the original KardiaMobile 1 Lead.
That’s 6 more times data for the KardiaMobile App and for your Doctor to analyse and providing more visibility into certain arrhythmias that are leading indicators of cardiovascular disease
For example with the 6 leads of ECG data the KardiaMobile 6L records it could be possible to identify if there is any deviation of axis out of the normal range in the frontal plane and if P waves are present.
With the launch of the KardiaMobile 6L six really is better than one!
