Frequently Asked Questions
What is CardioSignal?
How does CardioSignal detect atrial fibrillation?
Restrictions on use
The application is intended for adults. The heart rate of children and young people can vary a lot according to respiration (sinus arrhythmia), in which case irregular respiration has more effect on the result and a normal rhythm might look irregular.
The measurement must not be performed in the following situations: the skin on the chest is damaged in the measurement area, or the phone is connected to a charger.
Persons who have a cardiac pacemaker may not use the application. Holding a phone powered on close to a cardiac pacemaker can create electromagnetic interference (EMI), which may cause a malfunction in the pacemaker.
How do I make sure the measurement is taken correctly?
Things to take into consideration before a measurement:
- Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and it may occur occasionally or in a sustained manner. In order to detect possible atrial fibrillation with the CardioSignal application according to the intended use, a measurement must be taken twice in a 24-hour period, e.g., once in the morning and once in the evening.
- Do not exercise before taking a measurement.
- Your heart rate range must be 30–160 beats per minute. Otherwise, the application displays a failed result for that measurement.
- If you have a pacemaker, do not use the application.
Taking a measurement:
- Remove any thick clothing, such as a jacket.
- Lay on your back and relax.
- Press Start.
- Place the phone in the middle of your chest with the screen facing upward.
- Keep your hands in a relaxed position at your sides.
- There is a 10-second countdown before the 60-second measurement begins.
- Do not talk, cough, or move during the measurement.
- After the measurement ends, the application plays a sound and vibrates lightly.
- Following these signals, you can remove the smartphone from your chest.
- When the analysis is complete, the application displays the results.
How often should I check for atrial fibrillation?
The application detects atrial fibrillation. What should I do?
It is important to repeat the measurement after atrial fibrillation has been detected. Repeat the measurement at least twice. Contact a doctor if atrial fibrillation is detected repeatedly.
Make sure you have taken the measurement correctly. If your resting heart rate is low (under 50 bpm), the irregular chest movement caused by breathing may interfere with the measurement. In this case, you can try holding your breath for 10 to 20 seconds during the measurement.
Additionally, if your resting heart rate is above 130 bpm, please wait until your heart rate is lower and repeat the measurement.
If you get two consecutive Signs of atrial fibrillation results, repeat measurement without protective casing to check if the casing disturbs the motion signals.
The application detects atrial fibrillation. What should I do?
It is important to repeat the measurement after atrial fibrillation has been detected. Repeat the measurement at least twice. Contact a doctor if atrial fibrillation is detected repeatedly.
Make sure you have taken the measurement correctly. If your resting heart rate is low (under 50 bpm), the irregular chest movement caused by breathing may interfere with the measurement. In this case, you can try holding your breath for 10 to 20 seconds during the measurement.
Additionally, if your resting heart rate is above 130 bpm, please wait until your heart rate is lower and repeat the measurement.
If you get two consecutive Signs of atrial fibrillation results, repeat measurement without protective casing to check if the casing disturbs the motion signals.
Is the application useful to me if I have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation?
If you suffer from permanent atrial fibrillation, the CardioSignal application does not offer additional information on your condition. In this case, it has already been established that you suffer from atrial fibrillation.
The application detects atrial fibrillation. I’m sure that I don’t have it. What is going on?
Adolescents and children: The CardioSignal application is not intended for adolescents or children. They often have natural heart rate variability, which the application may interpret as atrial fibrillation.
Adults: For adults, a low resting heart rate (50 bpm or lower) and the irregular chest movement caused by breathing may interfere with the results. You can try holding your breath for 10 to 20 seconds during the measurement process to see if positive atrial fibrillation readings persist.
Additionally, if your resting heart rate is above 130 bpm, please wait until your heart rate is lower and repeat the measurement.
Problem with sensors: Some Android devices may use sensors that produce extremely poor-quality data which cannot be used to detect atrial fibrillation reliably. We aim to prevent the use of these phone models as soon as when we have determined that the quality of the data produced by the phone model is insufficient.
Also, check Should I take measurement with or without protective casing and auxiliary devices?
Why does my phone keep detecting atrial fibrillation?
How can I make sure CardioSignal will work with my phone?
You can install the CardioSignal application for free at the Apple AppStore and Google Play store. You can try the measurement feature 20 times at no cost. You can view the minimum requirements for the phone in the download section.
What are gyroscopes and accelerometers and why are they needed?
The sensitive motion sensors of the phone are able to detect the small vibrations in the chest area caused by the pumping motion of the heart, and CardioSignal is able to interpret these vibrations to determine how the heart is functioning. The application needs the data collected by both sensors to function in a reliable way and a decent mechanical connection between the phone and the chest.
Can I try the CardioSignal application for free?
How much does the CardioSignal application cost?
The subscription gets renewed automatically depending on the subscription period selected. For example, a one-month subscription renews every month, and is billed before the beginning of each new subscription period. A 1-month subscription costs 7.99€, a 3-month subscription costs 14.99€, and a 1-year subscription costs 49.99€.
The prices were last updated on 30 January 2020, and existing subscriptions are automatically updated according to the protocols of the Apple and Google payment systems.
How can I pay CardioSignal application subscription?
Payment options in application stores are:
- A credit or debit card, in which case the card information is linked to the application store account information
- Redeem a GooglePlay or AppStore gift card, gift code, or promotional code
- Paypal account
- Carrier billing is possible in some countries.
How can I cancel my subscription?
iPhone: You can terminate your subscription or change it in the Settings menu. Open Settings -> iTunes and App Store -> click on Apple ID -> View Apple ID -> Subscriptions -> CardioSignal -> Cancel subscription.
Android: You can terminate your subscription or change it in the Google Play application. Open Google Play -> Open menu (found in the upper left corner) -> Choose subscriptions -> CardioSignal -> Cancel subscription.
How can I restore my subscription after re-installing the CardioSignal application?
iPhone: Make sure you are using the same Apple ID as when you last used the application. Log into the CardioSignal application using your CardioSignal username. Choose ‘Subscription’ and ‘Restore subscription’. The subscription is restored, and you can continue taking measurements.
Android: Make sure you are using the same Google account as before. Log into the CardioSignal application using your CardioSignal username. The subscription is restored automatically, and you can continue taking measurements.
What kind of personal data does CardioSignal save onto the phone?
What happens to my data if I delete my CardioSignal account?
How secure are the CardioSignal application and the Precordior cloud service?
With passwords, we are using the PBKDF2 algorithm with SHA256 hash encryption and the “stretching mechanism” of the password, as recommended by NIST. The databases of the Precordior cloud service use an encryption algorithm that is in compliance with standard AES-256 to encrypt both the active database and the daily back-ups.
There are other similar products available. Why should I use the CardioSignal application?
It is true that there are also other products for detecting atrial fibrillation available, based on different kinds of technology. However, CardioSignal is cost-effective, immediately ready to use and does not require any additional devices.
I changed phones. Can I use the same CardioSignal username in my new phone?
If you have purchased a one-month, three-month, or one-year subscription with your old phone, e.g., an iPhone, the subscription will not work in an Android phone, and it won’t work if you switch from an Android phone to an iPhone, either. In this case, you will need to cancel your old subscription and purchase a new subscription using the new phone. Please note that if you do not cancel your old subscription, it will renew automatically. See the question How can I cancel my subscription?
I have a pacemaker. Can I use the application?
What about other arrhythmias and cardiac conditions?
The intended use of CardioSignal is to detect signs of atrial fibrillation in adult population.
- CardioSignal can not detect other arrhythmias than atrial fibrillation
- CardioSignal can not detect embolism nor stroke
- CardioSignal can not detect heart attacks. If you ever experience chest pain, pressure, tightness, or what you think is a heart attack, call emergency services immediately
- CardioSignal can not detect other cardiac or cardiovascular diseases
- If you are not feeling well, or you have any symptoms, contact health care provider
Why don’t I get an account verification email?
There might be several reasons for this (see below). For the same reasons other email communication related to CardioSignal product might be unavailable to you too.
- The account verification email might have gone to the junk email folder. Please check your junk email folder.
- The storage quota of your email account is full. You can’t receive emails until you either free space by removing old emails, upgrade your email provider plan or use another email account.