iBeat's Heart Watch can detect when you're going into cardiac arrest

Plenty of smartwatches on the market are already able to track your heart in order to aid exercise, but a new device is aiming to help those who suffer cardiac arrest.

The iBeat Heart Watch uses an array of internal sensors to monitor the wearer's heart rate, circulation and other biometrics, with that data then analyses in real-time by the company AI and checked for any anomalies. If something potentially troublesome is spotted, the watch will prompt the user to confirm everything is okay.

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If the wearer taps that they need help or doesn't respond, the smartwatch will connect to the iBeat 24-hour dispatch team and send the appropriate help - whether that's police, emergency services, firefighters or even friends and family. This function can also be activated manually, through the Heart Watch's emergency button.

As you might expect, the device is able to act independently from your phone and Wi-Fi, thanks to its built-in cellular capabilities and GPS. But, even still, it doesn't rely on just its standard SOS feature to help users in the event of an emergency, either.

According to the company, there's also a proprietary network of CPR-trained members of the public available to help via an app called Heart Heroes. If a registered Samaritan is nearby when a user goes into cardiac arrest, they will also be contacted.

The iBeat Heart Watch is currently on sale for $249, though potential punters should also be aware of the $17 monthly fee for the round-the-clock monitoring. It's not a cheap proposition by any stretch, but it's also a unique option for those at risk of cardiac arrest. And if the SOS features work as well in practice as they do on paper, this could be one device we see make waves within the field of health wearables.