New mouse can checks stress level at workplace

Alps Electric Co Ltd showed a computer mouse that enables to check mental stress level at workplace.

The mouse, which is equipped with a vital sensor and an environmental sensor, was demonstrated at Medtec Japan 2016, which took place from April 20 to 22, 2016, at Tokyo Big Sight.

Specifically, the mouse comes with a "wearable near-infrared spectroscopic sensor" that can measure "hemoglobin level," which indicates the degree of anemia, etc, in addition to the degree of oxygen saturation and pulse and an environmental sensor that can measure temperature, humidity, etc.

The mental stress level of the user can be measured just by using the mouse in normal ways, Alps Electric said.

The wearable near-infrared spectroscopic sensor was unveiled at Medtec Japan 2015, which took place from April 22 to 24, 2015, at Tokyo Big Sight. It measures the amount of hemoglobin combined with oxygen (oxyhemoglobin) and the amount of hemoglobin not combined with oxygen (deoxyhemoglobin) by using LED lights with two different wavelengths in the near-infrared region.

Based on the amounts, the degree of oxygen saturation and pulse are calculated. It is also possible to measure the time variation of the amounts of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin (hemoglobin level).

This time, the new sensor realizes a high measurement accuracy regardless of capillary distribution and measurement point. Alps Electric plans to complete the development of the sensor in fiscal 2016 and start to ship samples by the spring of 2017.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter