cost. AliveCor obtains ECG traces through sensing plates, which can also be purchased through AliveCor. The plates are placed on fingers or the chest and the scan takes 30 seconds to complete. One of the benefits of AliveCor is the ability to record notes of how the patient was feeling prior to taking the ECG so that the physician has a clear picture of what the patterns indicate. Studies on the algorithm used in the technology have indicated that the device provides sufficiently accurate data to be able to diagnose atrial fibrillations. The accuracy has been found to be similar to Lead 1 data of a regular 12-lead ECG. 3. created a wireless ECG monitor that is placed on the chest under clothing, and the data are sent to mobile phones and is readily available for healthcare professionals. The device is small and lightweight, making it easy to participate in daily activities. It uses Bluetooth technology to send the information to cell phones, but it can also be connected to a computer via USB cable. 4. Qardio created a wearable ECG monitor that wirelessly sends data to the smartphone for the user and health practitioners. The device can be worn every day to track heart health in real life. 5. Beurer produces a single-channel ECG monitor without dedicated electrodes that transmits data via Bluetooth to a smartphone. It is very small and easy to carry around, but is not designed to continuously measure data. The device returns a preliminary analysis of the ECG recording, and detailed data can be later on shown to a physician. References Health informatics Cardiology Medical monitoring equipment