Fingertip based heart beat monitoring system using embedded systems

In recent technological innovations in the field of disease prevention and maintenance of patient health have enabled the evolution of fields such as monitoring systems. Heart rate is a very vital health parameter that is directly related to the soundness of the human cardiovascular system. It can be measured either by the ECG waveform or by sensing the pulse - the rhythmic expansion and contraction of an artery as blood is forced through it by the regular contractions of the heart. The pulse can be felt from those areas where the artery is close to the skin. This paper describes a technique of measuring the heart rate through a fingertip and Arduino. It is based on the principal of Photo Phelthysmo Graphy (PPG) which is non-invasive method of measuring the variation in blood volume in tissue using a light source and detector. While the heart is beating, it is pumping blood throughout the body, and that makes the blood volume inside the finger artery to change too. This fluctuation of blood can be detected through an optical sensing mechanism placed around the fingertip. The signal can be amplified and is sent to Arduino with the help of serial port communication. With the help of processing software heart rate monitoring and counting is performed.