Wireless, Pocket-Sized ECG Monitor: A Potential Tool used in the Detection of Cardiovascular Disease

Recent technological advancements in medical/ healthcare and mobile computing have caught attention of researchers for remote health-monitoring systems. The application of mobile technology in health monitoring enables remote monitoring of people, which would help in (a) improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients and (b) providing timely action in case of emergency.

Smartphones have now become the integral part of people’s lives and therefore these devices can integrate healthcare more seamlessly into everyday lives. The primary objective behind this innovation was to develop a reliable and efficient remote heart-monitoring system that would help healthcare professionals monitor their patients remotely. Also the users can make use of this technology in their routine lifestyle for cardiac care and get timely support anytime, anywhere in case of emergencies.

This paper presents information about accuracy of a smartphone ECG monitor, which is pocket-able, leadless, supporting up to 6 leads and has function remote-sharing functionality. The accuracy of measurement in terms of sensitivity and specificity is done in comparison with a typical traditional ECG machine. The possible need, usage and potential benefits of such a device from the point of view of the patients are analyzed via interviewing the people.

The proposed device is mechanized by a Sanket app running on compatible iOS and Android phones that connects wirelessly via Bluetooth technology to the device. Six-lead ECG can be measured anytime, anywhere and the reports can be easily downloaded and instantly shared with the healthcare professional for immediate clinical advice. The ECG reports are also saved in cloud for future reference. The device mainly consists of electronics such as sensors, comparators, filters and Bluetooth chip. In this study, the ECG variables, namely, heart rate, PR, QRSD, QT and QTc were monitored, displayed and saved in our system. The proposed device was field-tested to establish its accuracy and reliability. The test results showed that our device was able to measure the ECG variables with a high accuracy.