MEDICOREPulse waveform

Max Pulse

The Max Pulse records an optical pulse wave from your finger. Alongside pulse rate, it analyses waveform shape and, in a longer test, variation in intervals between pulses. It can add a short resting recording to a consultation; it does not measure composition or blood pressure.

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When this test is useful

You sit down, place a small sensor on your finger and stay still for a few minutes. Max Pulse records your pulse wave and the differences in timing between pulses. At a later visit, you can compare the result with your own earlier measurement. The results sheet also includes scores labelled vascular level, stress or fatigue. The software calculates these from the recording. Treat them as additional information: the measurement alone cannot show whether you have arterial disease or determine your psychological state.

What the results tell you

The results sheet shows the vascular levels the software assigned to your recorded pulses. Looking at the whole distribution and your own changes over time is useful. A cold finger or movement can affect the result. A vascular level cannot tell you whether or where an artery is narrowed.

A longer measurement also gives you a variability overview and scores labelled stress, fatigue or autonomic activity. You can return to them and follow your own changes, while considering whether you were rested and used the same recording length. The short 45-second APG mode does not provide these results.

Comparing yourself under similar conditions is most useful. A quiet morning recording can differ from one after training. You can note sleep, exercise or coffee alongside the result to help understand why two visits differ.

How the device measures

The sensor uses light to follow changes in blood flow in your finger. This method is called PPG. The wave’s shape is used for APG analysis, technically its second derivative. The time between pulses is used to calculate pulse rate variability (PRV). The manufacturer labels this results sheet HRV, but the device does not record the heart’s electrical activity as an ECG does.

Test procedure and preparation

Take some quiet time to settle before testing. Support your hand comfortably and let cold fingers warm up. During recording, avoid talking or moving your hand and breathe naturally. Aim for similar conditions next time, including a similar gap after exercise or coffee. Do not stop medication on your own for the test.

Limitations and influences

Blood pressure needs a cuff monitor; Max Pulse does not provide pressure values in mmHg. Optical PPG measurement is not an ECG. Its pulse variability can differ from ECG-derived HRV and is also affected by movement and finger blood flow. Vascular scores cannot show blocked arteries and do not directly measure aortic stiffness. Stress or fatigue scores cannot establish burnout or anxiety. Flagged irregular intervals alone do not confirm an arrhythmia. If you have an arrhythmia or another heart condition, discuss suitability with a clinician. An irregular rhythm can make variability results difficult to interpret.

Choosing a device and service

To find out your blood pressure, you need a cuff monitor such as BPBIO750. Max Pulse adds a view of the optical pulse wave and its intervals. For heart-rhythm concerns, a clinician uses an ECG to record the heart’s electrical activity. Each measurement serves its own purpose.

Specifications: Max Pulse

Recording time: 45 s (pulse wave / APG); 3 min (APG + pulse variability); 5 min (APG + pulse variability)
Operating temperature: 10–40 °C
Recorded signal: Optical pulse wave — PPG
Sensor: Finger PPG probe

Additional specifications · Max Pulse