Maxim Integrated MAXM86146 dual-photodetector optical sensor

Developers can quickly and easily design sensors into places where they never used to fit with the MAXM86146 dual-photodetector optical sensor solution, from Maxim Integrated Products — claimed to be the thinnest optical sensor solution for wearable health and fitness products.

The turnkey drop-in module combines two photodiodes, an optical AFE and a microcontroller with built-in algorithms for heart-rate and oxygen-saturation (SpO₂) monitoring, as well as advanced activity classification. Its small package size of 0.88 mm and ease of design should enable innovative biosensing features in less space and support the rapid development of continuous health-monitoring devices.

The product is said to offer designers of wearable products the ability to achieve a 45% thinner optical design versus a discrete approach, thus enabling lighter, more compact power-efficient devices. Additionally, the module offers ready-to-use biosensing algorithms that measure vital signs to rigorous medical standards, giving developers more time to focus on expanding functionality rather than algorithm development.