Qualcomm's latest fingerprint sensors can detect heart rate and blood flow

More than two years after revealing the Sense ID technology, Qualcomm today announced the next generation ultrasonic fingerprint solutions, Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensors for Display, Glass and Metal.

Qualcomm claims the Fingerprint Sensors are the first commercially announced integrated ultrasonic-based mobile solution that can detect heart beat and blood flow for an enhanced mobile authentication experience.

They are also the first to be able to scan through OLED display stacks of up to 1200um. In addition, the Fingerprint Sensors for Glass and Metal are the first commercially announced to scan through up to 800 µm of cover glass and up to 650 µm of aluminum. In comparison, the previous generation of sensors could only scan up to 400 µm of glass or metal.

The other new features include the ability to work underwater and detection of directional gestures for controlling the notification shade or accessing of apps by moving a finger around a rear-facing sensor. 

The Fingerprint Sensors for Glass and Metal are slated for availability to OEMs this month and are expected to be found in commercial devices in the first half of 2018. The Fingerprint Sensor for Display will be available for OEMs in Q4 2017. The Fingerprint Sensors are designed as an integrated solution with Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms, and as standalone sensors for use with other non-Snapdragon platforms. 

Source: Qualcomm