Key result
Single ear and cross-ear ECG recordings demonstrated high correlation with standard Lead I ECG (Pearson correlation r=0.85 to 0.94) and successfully captured characteristic cardiac rhythms during prolonged real-world tasks.
Why the study?
The ECG signal that can be acquired through a hearable device worn on a single ear remains relatively unexplored despite the clinical potential of ear-worn wearables for unobtrusive health monitoring.
Does single ear ECG recording provide reliable cardiac rhythms comparable to Lead I in human subjects?
Observational (n=10)
No
Does single ear ECG recording provide reliable cardiac rhythms comparable to Lead I in human subjects?
Single ear ECG recordings from hearables are feasible, resemble standard Lead I signals, and are robust to real-world noise, offering a novel unobtrusive method for continuous cardiac monitoring.
Single-ear hearable ECG is feasible by biophysics modeling; leaves open clinical validation before practice adoption.
Wearable technologies are envisaged to provide critical support to future healthcare systems. Hearables - devices worn in the ear - are of particular interest due to their ability to provide health monitoring in an efficient, reliable and unobtrusive way. Despite the considerable potential of these devices, the ECG signal that can be acquired through a hearable device worn on a single ear is still relatively unexplored. Biophysics modelling of ECG volume conduction was used to establish principles behind the single ear ECG signal, and measurements of cardiac rhythms from 10 subjects were found to be in good correspondence with simulated equivalents. Additionally, the viability of the single ear ECG in real-world environments was determined through one hour duration measurements during a simulated driving task on 5 subjects. Results demonstrated that the single ear ECG resembles the Lead I signal, the most widely used ECG signal in the identification of heart conditions such as myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation, and was robust against real-world measurement noise, even after prolonged measurements. This study conclusively demonstrates that hearables can enable continuous monitoring of vital signs in an unobtrusive and seamless way, with the potential for reliable identification and management of heart conditions such as myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation.
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Yarıcı et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Healthy subjects (n=10). Single ear and cross-ear ECG recording vs. Standard Lead I wrist ECG was evaluated on Correlation of ear ECG cardiac rhythms with Lead I ECG. Single ear and cross-ear ECG recordings demonstrated high correlation with standard Lead I ECG (Pearson correlation r=0.85 to 0.94) and successfully captured characteristic cardiac rhythms during prolonged real-world tasks.
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