The module is thin yet reduces power consumption
Measure heart rate, stress level, oxygen saturation, etc.

LG Innotek (CEO Park Jong-seok) announced that it has succeeded in developing a world-class ultra-slim pulse sensor module.

Pulse sensors are mainly installed in wearable devices and smartphones and are used to measure heart rate, stress levels, oxygen saturation, etc.

The newly developed pulse sensor module is thin, reduces power consumption, and significantly enhances measurement performance. Users of IT devices equipped with this module can now receive more accurate health information in a small and lightweight product.

Wearable device? Smartphone-embedded, lower power consumption, higher accuracy

The key to wearable technology is minimizing power consumption while reducing device size. If the device is cumbersome to wear on the body and the battery drains quickly, it will be difficult to achieve mass adoption, no matter how excellent the functionality is.

LG Innotek's pulse sensor module is thin at 1mm in thickness, even though it incorporates a photodiode (PD), LED, and semiconductor chip into a single module. Applying this module to wearable devices and smartphones allows for slimmer products and greater design flexibility.

LG Innotek utilized embedded technology in the field of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) to reduce module thickness. Embedded PCB technology is a technique that embeds semiconductor chips into a PCB. Previously, there were limitations in reducing module thickness because components such as photodiodes had to be placed on top of a semiconductor chip that processes biosignals on a PCB.

It maintains an ultra-slim thickness while reducing power consumption of the pulse sensor module compared to similar products. LG Innotek's module measures changes in blood flow using an LED light source, and minimizes light loss by gold-plating the interior. The increased light efficiency increases the magnitude of detected biosignals by approximately 30%, enabling accurate biosignal detection even with low power consumption. Using this module reduces battery consumption caused by the sensor by about 20% compared to existing products.

The accuracy of the measurement information has been improved. The newly developed pulse sensor module has a heart rate error range of ±5 bpm (beats per minute) during exercise and can measure precisely up to ±2 bpm in a resting state, reaching the level of medical devices.

When a user measuring their heart rate with a wearable device while exercising, the margin of error of existing modules is ±8 bpm. This means that if the user's actual heart rate is 120 bpm, the value measured by the wearable device will be between 112 and 128 bpm. LG Innotek's pulse sensor module has improved accuracy to 115–125 bpm.

Developed by converging strengths such as embedded PCBs and LEDs

LG Innotek developed a pulse sensor module by integrating differentiated technologies such as embedded PCBs and LEDs. The company possesses core sensor technologies in various fields, including torque angle sensors for vehicles and photo sensors for network cameras.

This company has been integrating its technologies to discover new growth engines, expanding its business areas, and strengthening its portfolio.

Kim Chang-hwan, Head of the Parts & Materials R&D Center (Executive Vice President), said, “The core of the IoT era is sensors that enable information collection and analysis,” adding, “We will develop cutting-edge sensors that can enhance customer value and actively target the IoT market by integrating them with various objects such as automobiles, home appliances, wearable devices, and smartphones.”