Vital Signs app measures heart rate via iPad camera

Philips recently launched an iPad app dubbed Vital Signs Camera that can measure your heart rate and breathing via the tablet's camera.

Philips recently launched an iPad app dubbed Vital Signs Camera that can measure your heart rate and breathing via the tablet's camera.

Released last week in the iTunes Store, the $0.99 app claims it can measure heart rate by determining the blood flow to your face based on the color of your skin along with your breathing rate as detected by the motion of your chest.

'As long as you sit still and aren't wearing bulky clothing, it can figure out your vital signs in a few seconds with surprising accuracy,' writes MacNewsWorld in a review of the new app. 'More than anything else, it may be more of a demonstration of technologies we'll soon be seeing used by actual medical pros.'

In development for three years, Philips is not seeking approval from the US Food and Drug Administration as a medical device, and has added a disclaimer that the app is 'for entertainment purposes only.'

The app is similar of Azumio's popular Stress Check app, which transforms your iPhone into a stress gauge. To use, hold your index finger over the iPhone's camera flash for two minutes. The app then claims to measure your blood flow to indicate elevated stress levels.