Industry's first mass production of bio-processors

Samsung Electronics announced that it will mass-produce the industry's first bio-processor ('S3FBP5A') that integrates the functions of collecting and processing various biosignals into a single semiconductor chip.

This product is Samsung Electronics' first bio processor, and unlike existing multi-functional sensors, it integrates a microcontroller (MCU), a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, and built-in flash memory onto a single chip.

The company stated that while a separate chip was previously required to process biosignals measured by sensors, this Samsung Electronics product incorporates data processing capabilities, making it the first product to integrate functions ranging from biosignal measurement to conversion into digital information onto a single chip.

Recently, mobile healthcare, which provides comprehensive services by analyzing personal health information collected through wearable devices, has been gaining attention. Samsung Electronics plans to actively respond to these market demands and secure market leadership through the mass production of this bio-processor.

In addition, through this new product, Samsung Electronics' system semiconductor business is expected to expand its business scope beyond its existing focus on the mobile SOC sector to include the healthcare sector.

The bio-processor, which has just begun mass production, incorporates the five most representative sensor functions for mobile healthcare—including body fat, skeletal muscle mass, heart rate, electrocardiogram measurement, skin temperature, and stress response—making it the single-chip product with the most capabilities available to date.Body signals can be measured.

Furthermore, by configuring separate algorithms—such as combining heart rate (PPG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure blood pressure—it is possible to analyze two or more types of measurement information to obtain new data, enabling a wider range of applications.

In addition, compared to configuring each function as a separate chip, the area can be reduced to one-quarter, providing design flexibility that enables global IT device manufacturers to launch various types of products, such as ultra-small wearable devices.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics plans to support customers in developing new products more easily by providing them with bracelet-type and patch-type wearable reference platforms utilizing bio-processors.

“As IT devices evolve and public interest in health grows, the demand for IT-based personal healthcare is increasing,” said Heo Kuk, Senior Vice President of the Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics’ S.LSI Business Division. “Samsung Electronics’ bio-processor is expected to contribute significantly to the expansion of wearable-based healthcare services as an integrated solution capable of analyzing various biosignals.”

Samsung Electronics has started mass production shipments of its bio processors and they are scheduled to be installed in fitness and healthcare devices in the first half of 2016.