A £220 first-of-its-kind wearable fitness tracker that is attached to the penis in order to monitor health has been launched in the UK.

The FirmTech Tech Ring can be worn during the act of sex or over night — and special sensors detect nocturnal erections while men are asleep.

This is used to create what the inventors call an 'erectile fitness score', which is displayed on the device's paired app.

While this can obviously flag potential cases of erectile dysfunction, also called impotency, tracking penis performance could also be a lifesaver, claim the makers.

Erections rely on a healthy circulation to the penis and any problems could indicate life threatening problems including heart disease as well as prostate issues.

Erectile dysfunction can also be an early warning sign of high blood pressure or and diabetes.

High blood pressure in particular is often described as 'silent killer' due to its lack of symptoms and the fact it increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

An estimated 4.2million people in England alone have undiagnosed high blood pressure according to the NHS. 

Tracking erections at night, as the Tech Ring, does could also potentially help men uncover the root cause of their impotency.

Men typically experience three to five erections per night, lasting about 45 minutes in total. 

These nocturnal erections occur to help keep the penis healthy by sporadically flushing the organ with blood during the night.

If a man is having erection problems during sex, but his unconscious erections are normal, this could indicate his impotency is caused by a mental issue such as stress. 

On the other hand, if both sex and nocturnal erections are struggling this could point to a physiological problem.

FirmTech founder, Dr Elliot Justin, described The Tech Ring as electrocardiogram, a painless test that measures the electrical activity of the heart, for 'men's favourite and most sensitive organ'.

He also claims the device can help spot the signs of problems with erections at the earliest stages, allowing men to make lifestyle tweaks known to improve the problem.  

These include losing weight and eating a balanced diet, reducing alcohol intake, and quitting smoking.

The Tech Ring, made of a rubber-like material, stretches around the penis and scrotum. 

It is held firmly in place with a clasp at the top of the device so it can be worn both during intercourse and when the penis is flaccid.

Previously British medics have urged men to steer clear of penis rings, which some use as impotency aids, that are made from hard materials such as metal.

Such rings carry a risk of getting stuck effectively strangling the penis by cutting it off from oxygen. This can result in the organ dying and requiring subsequent amputation. 

Shocking footage has seen emergency medics being forced to resort to power tools in a desperate attempt to save men's manhood in some cases. 

As such medics advise men interested in wearing rings on their penis to opt for soft materials that can easily be removed in an emergency.

Erectile dysfunction is a common medical problem, particularly as men age.

The NHS estimates that half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree. 

While many cases the occasional one-off, if men repeatedly have problems getting it up, they should speak to their GP or a sexual health clinic.

These services can prescribe drugs such as Viagra and devices like vacuum pumps to assist directly with improving erections or therapy if the cause is psychological. 

They can also help explore if impotency is being caused by a health problem that needs further investigation such as high blood pressure or a hormonal imbalance. 

Similar wearable rings to monitor aspects of penile health, such as nocturnal erections have been launched in the past.