Dr Volker Tank, Johannes Tank

DESCRIPTION
Self-determined physical activity at every age is one of the primary keys to achieving and maintaining overall physical and mental health. It minimises cardiovascular risk, which in spite of the highest standards of medicine is the main cause of mortality in industrial societies. Exercise also reduces the need for medical intervention and treatment, which has been a constantly increasing financial burden on industrial societies. Endurance training increases cardiac power, a lack of it causes the heart to decline. Cardiac power can thus serve as a measure of health. Cardiac Power Monitoring (CPM) enables users to determine their cardiac power development during any kind of endurance training that involves travelling some distance, such as walking, biking, skating, or cross-country skiing. Based on high-accuracy position measurement during motion, CPM derives cardiac power by combining the physical exertion the user performs with his or her interrelated heart rate. High position accuracy is achieved through utilisation of EGNOS, while SISNeT can provide reliability in urban environments.

INNOVATION
To date, endurance training has been guided by medical recommendations specifying how and at which heart rate to exercise, with heart rate monitors used for training control. Until now, there has been neither a means of monitoring training success, nor targets to achieve. CPM monitors real, quantitative cardiac power during training or other physical load. The system also enables users to establish a cardiac power index (CPI) as their desired status. CPI is the target, CPM the control system.
TARGET MARKET
CPM focuses on the growing number of people of all ages who are conscientious about health, quality of life, and the environment. This includes the elderly, who face higher cardiovascular risks but also want independent lifestyles; and people undergoing rehabilitation after a medical procedure. In particular, the primary market for CPM correlates with that of heart rate monitors (one million units were sold in Germany in 2007). Meanwhile, integrating CPM with mobile phones would open up an additional market.
CUSTOMER BENEFIT
CPM measures cardiac power during training at any time and location. In combination with CPI, it provides the user with a target and proof that her/his training efforts are paying off. CPM also serves as an accurate guide to adjusting and optimising training intensity. During rehabilitation, it can provide attending physicians with unique, continuous data on heart power development. Finally, it can provide a heart status history over users’ entire lives.
Contact:
Kreative Technologie LWU, UG (limited liability)
Dr Volker Tank
Langäckerstr. 25
82279 Eching
Germany
phone: +49 8143 1757
e-mail: Volker.Tank@dlr.de