Pulsimõõturite

Pulsimõõturite, or pulse monitors, are devices designed to measure the heart rate and sometimes additional physiological parameters. They are widely used in medical, sports, and research settings to monitor cardiovascular health, assess exercise intensity, and detect arrhythmias.

The basic principle behind most pulse monitors is the detection of blood volume changes in the microvascular bed of tissue, commonly using photoplethysmography (PPG). In a PPG sensor, a light source (usually infrared or red LED) illuminates the skin, and a photodetector records the light reflected or transmitted. The resulting waveform correlates with each pulse, allowing the device to calculate beats per minute (BPM). Some advanced monitors also implement electrocardiography (ECG) sensors, offering higher precision and the ability to detect specific ECG waveforms.

Early pulse monitors emerged in the 1960s as bulky bedside equipment for hospital use. The 1980s and 1990s saw the development of portable, textile-integrated probes and chest straps for athletic use. Since the 2000s, wrist-worn devices and smartphone-based apps have popularized self-monitoring, driven by advances in sensor miniaturization and digital signal processing.

Commercially, pulse monitors are categorized into clinical-grade units, which require regulatory approval and provide detailed diagnostics, and consumer-grade wearables, which offer trend analysis, activity tracking, and user-friendly interfaces. Applications range from routine health checks to high-performance sports training, sleep monitoring, and emergency medical assessment.

Future trends focus on multimodal sensing, integrating respiration, skin temperature, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) into single platforms. Artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly employed for predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and personalized coaching.