This powerful tool is designed to improve the health and mitigate the impact of stress on the human body.

The training system is based on using the positive effects of paced breathing that augments respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The Heart Tracker Professional training assists the body’s ability for self-regulation and stabilization. Paced breathing and RSA biofeedback training is a special physiological functional exercise that positively impacts the autonomic regulatory function.

Practical use

1. Weight loss counselors may use the Heart Tracker Professional to reinforce long-term effects of their weight loss program using its stress management capabilities.
   Chronic stress is one of the main problems leading to gaining extra pounds and ending up with obesity. Thus various methods of behavioral modification helping to reduce stress also help to lose weight. More stress resilient patients tend to lose weight more effectively and with sustained results. Using the Heart Tracker Professional as a primary stress reduction tool may increase that stress resilience and thus improve the effectiveness of weight loss programs.
   
   
2. Stress management counselors and biofeedback therapists may use the Heart Tracker Professional combined with other Biocom products to evaluate stress level and optimize their stress management program.
   Various stress management techniques like paced breathing exercises may have better stress relief effect if it is possible to determine how stressed patient is. The higher stress level the stronger option of the stress management session should be applied. If stress level is low, then such session might not be even needed. Biocom Heart Tracker Professional is a powerful biofeedback tool designed to help managing stress. Measuring the body’s autonomic function can help to assess actual stress level. One single Inner Balance Scan test will help to determine how significant stress is.
   
   
3. General healthcare practitioners may use the Heart Tracker Professional as an auxiliary tool to improve their patients’ health.
   Medical researchers have shown that many health problems in our modern world are stress induced or stress related. So helping patients to cope with stress would help to improve their health condition and avoid many serious complications. Many research studies have proven that spending just 15 minutes to breathe rhythmically and slowly will reset the inner regulatory balance and thus alleviate stressful condition. Doing that regularly helps to lower blood pressure, lowers chances of asthma attacks, strengthen immune system and many more. General healthcare practitioners may implement use of the Heart Tracker Professional in their practice to teach their patients how to use paced breathing for their health benefits.
   
   
4. Psychologists may use the Heart Tracker Professional to help their clients restoring their emotional balance and manage their anger or panic attacks.
   Emotional imbalance is the problem hitting millions of people causing panic attacks, unmotivated onsets of anger, rage or deep depression. Psychologists use various educational techniques changing behavioral patterns. Deep breathing is a universal, powerful yet very simple tool to restore the emotional balance and thus cope with these very negative psycho-physiological conditions. Using the Heart Tracker Professional may enable the psychologists to significantly enhance their arsenal of treating their clients by teaching them how to manage stress, anger and other debilitating conditions by regularly doing simple breathing exercises.
   
   
5. School teachers may use the Heart Tracker Professional to help their students to deal with their anxieties, stress and other behavioral problems caused by negative emotions.
   Many children are very sensitive to the environment in their school classes. They may develop various psychological problems caused by negative emotions originated from anxiety of learning, communications with teachers or their schoolmates. As a result their learning capabilities and health may become in jeopardy. Teachers may find the Heart Tracker Professional as an excellent tool to teach their students how to deal with their stress, negative emotions and thus improve their learning process by simply doing regular breathing exercises in a very intuitive and easy way with nice and attractive visual and audio incentives.

Features

• Fully adjustable breath cycle pattern
• Fully configurable RSA training sessions
• Visual and audio feedback
• Tracking achieved training scores
• Display/print results of selected training session in summary report
• Built-in database
• Unlimited number of client records
• Export training results in Excel, ASCII and XML file format
• Import/Export data in software specific format
• Multi-language support (English/French/Spain/German)
• Works with ECG and Respiration signals
• Multiple administrators
• Multiple databases

Featured screenshots:

Fully adjustable breath cycle pattern (Inhale, hold, exhale, pause)	Fully configurable RSA training sessions (Difficulty level, training length, accumulation time, spectrum, score - graph or bands)
Visual and audio feedback (Based on settings there could be a special audio playing on change in current score level, and/or image transparency is based on current score level)	Display/print results of selected training session in summary report
Export training results in Excel, ASCII and XML file format	Subliminal messages with the comprehensive settings

Other software screenshots:

Training live screen (Heart Rate and Training Score graphs)	Training live screen /report screen (Heart Rate, Training Score, 3D Heart Rate Spectrum and Training Consistency graphs)
Training progress report (Training score/focus and Score bands graphs)	Printer-friendly single page report format

• Heart Rhythm Scanner software
• Choice of hardware (Details below. PPG Bluetooth Not shown)

Electrocardiograph (ECG)
ECG BC-4000 USB connectivity (wired)	ECG BC-5000 Bluetooth connectivity (wireless)
Weight: 2.0 Oz / 56 g Sample rate: up to 1024 Hz Dimension: 2.75 x 1 x 0.625 inches 70 x 25 x 15 мм Connection: USB Additional info: Resolution < 1 µV/Bit ECG, 14 Bit Frequency Response - 0.2 – 150 Hz	Weight: 2.4 Oz – 68 g Sample rate: Up to 500 Hz Dimension: 2.75 x 2.19 x 0.625 inches 70 x 55 x 20 мм Connection: Bluetooth Additional info: Resolution < 5 µV/Bit ECG, 17 Bit Power consumption 100mA (rechargeable battery) Power consumption 80mA (alkaline battery) Bluetooth range: up to 10 meters
Electrocardiograph (ECG) is a tracing, which represents the heart electrical activity derived by amplifying minutely small electrical impulses generated by the heart. The electrical impulses generated in the heart muscle are recorded and transmitted to the electrocardiograph by electrodes or leads attached to the body by small disposable metal plates. The moistened plates are attached to the arms, legs, and cardiac areas. ECG is a widely accepted and important diagnostic tool. ECG is used in some routine medical examinations when a heart disorder is present or suspected. ECG helps diagnose the damage that may have been inflicted on the heart muscle as a result of coronary occlusion, rheumatic fever, the presence of abnormal rhythms, and the effect of drugs. Moreover, ECG recordings provide information on the current fitness status of the heart as well as reflect HRV as a result of ANS regulatory balance.

Photoplethysmographs (PPGs)
PPG BC-1000 USB connectivity (wired)	PPG BC 1200 USB connectivity (wired)
Photoplethysmograph (PPG) was developed in the 1960's and 1970's by psychophysiology researchers. The instrument is used for assessment of peripheral blood flow to the extremities. When the client is stressed their blood vessels constrict (less blood flow in fingers). Photoplethysmograph is based upon the premise that all living tissue and blood have different light-absorbing properties. PPG works by placing an individual finger between two parts of a transducer consisting of a light source and a photocell (which converts light to electrical energy). A beam of infrared light is projected toward the photocell. The blood in the finger scatters light in the infrared range, and the amount of light reaching the cell is inversely related to the amount of blood in the finger. Hence, when blood vessels in the finger dilate, the increased blood flow allows less light to reach the photocell, when blood vessels constrict, blood flow is decreased and increased light reaches the photocell. Pulse volume measurements are related beat-to-beat variations in the force of blood flow. Phasic changes made on a beat-to-beat basis, are called pulse volume measurements and are related to beat variations in the force of blood flow. These beat-to-beat changes in peripheral blood flow reflect ANS regulatory activity and can be used for the purpose of evaluation of sympathetic activity or stress. (“Measuring Stress” by S. Cohen, R. Kessler and L. U. Gordon, 1995)

Using device right

	Biocom 4000 ECG recorder has three large non-disposable dry ECG electrodes to be placed on wrists of both hands secured with elastic wristbands.
	Typically the PPG BC-2000 should be placed on earlobe. In some cases when earlobe placement does not give good pulse wave signal the PPG BC-2000 can be placed on a finger.
	The PPG BC-1000 is designed for use on finger tip
	Typically the PPG BC 1200 should be placed on earlobe In some cases when earlobe placement does not give good pulse wave signal the ear-clip can be placed on a finger.

The human organism is under the continuous control of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is evolutionarily the oldest part of the human nervous system that cannot be voluntarily controlled by our thoughts. The main purpose of the ANS is to control all organs and systems to maintain optimum performance of the organism influenced by various internal and external factors. This control is carried out by the two branches of the ANS called the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous systems (PNS).

Generally SNS causes the so-called 'fight or flight' response needed to mobilize all of our organisms’ resources to withstand any stress factors (stressors) - certain changes in outer or inner environment that cause discomfort or even harm to our organisms. Once the immediate threat of stressor is alleviated, PNS takes control of the organism, bringing it back to normal optimum function. Strong functioning of both the SNS and PNS allows our organisms to function effectively over time.

Thus to train PNS system we need to have a positive impact on the baroreflex mechanism to cause increased stimulation of PNS. It appears that deep breathing is an easy mind controlled way to do such stimulation providing an effective exercise regimen to the PNS. It was found that baroreflex mechanism is exceptionally responsive to periodic stimulation at certain rate, particularly at 0.1 Hz (also called the resonant frequency), which can be provided when breathing deeply and evenly at 6 breaths per minute. This regimen is especially effective when such breathing is controlled by a specially established visual and/or auditory pacer (or metronome).

Below is a diagram describing how baroreflex mechanism works.

Below is the diagram showing relationship between breathing, BP and HR as per details above.

This diagram shows that when breathing occurs at resonant frequency, HR should have the most profound oscillations synchronous with breathing. By the end of deep inhalation HR reaches its maximum level and respectively by the end of exhalation HR reaches its minimum level.

This physiological phenomenon, also known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), sets the ground for a training technique as a key element of the Heart Tracker system.

The training tool has means to provide both visual and auditory breath pacer as well as the way to read actual HR. Breathing according to breath pacer and observing actual HR establishes a biofeedback loop, which is essential to have a successful training outcome.

Important! None of the physiological data measured by the Heart Tracker is to be used for diagnostic purpose in the USA. The information being recorded will vary greatly between individuals. Age, heart irregularities, chronic conditions all could affect the reading by this instrument.

Important! Individuals should use this instrument for achieving better function of the internal regulatory mechanisms. It is important to understand that no dramatic improvement could happen overnight. Regular use of this tool (10-20 minutes per day) should gradually bring your regulatory systems to better function enhancing your overall health condition.

• CPU Pentium 4, 1.6 GHz (or equivalent)
• 1 Gb of RAM
• Video card with at least 1024x768 and High-Color resolution
• 1 Gb of free hard disk space
• CD ROM drive
• One available USB port, version 1.1 or higher
• Windows 2000/XP/Vista or 7 Operating system

Heart Tracker Professional Software Update

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Heart Tracker Professional User's Manual