Conceptual Hybrid Model for Wearable Cardiac Monitoring System

BackgroundThe electrocardiogram is the most convenient and widely used method of cardiac monitoring. The information provided by the ECG has the potential to be used as a means by which cardiac arrhythmia can be detected at an early stage in order to prevent life-threatening complications. Its significance is widely accepted in the medical field so much so that tele-monitoring is being utilized across the world for cardiac activity. To perform cardiac monitoring more efficiently, a mobile application, used in conjunction with a sensor unit, is designed to perform real-time monitoring of the cardiac signal. The device consists of 3-lead EKG patches with an integrated Bluetooth module allowing a point-to-point pairing between the hardware and smartphone application. The hardware can either be placed on humanoid robot arm fingers or connected to a wearable patch placed on the chest. A real-time EKG signal is transmitted to the Android application on which a time vs. voltage plot will be displayed. ResultsThe device was tested using the ProSim8 ECG simulator by Fluke Biomedical. The test confirmed the signal quality of the ECG signal with clear P, QRS, and T waves. ConclusionsThis device provides a more cost-effective telemedicine solution for cardiac home care assistance in remote areas which can serve as a viable alternative to conventional monitors as it has the potential to reduce the time for clinical procedures