Design of a Solar-Powered Portable ECG Device with Optimal Power Consumption and High Accuracy Measurement

Ngoc Thang Bui,Junghwan Oh,Byung-Gak Kim,Tan Hung Vo

doi:10.3390/app9102129

Ngoc Thang Bui, Junghwan Oh + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app9102129

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Journal: Applied Sciences	Publication Date: May 24, 2019
Citations: 10	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Pukyong National University

Abstract

One of the best ways to monitor the health of the heart is to regularly record its electrical activity by using an electrocardiogram (ECG). Abnormal ECG signals may indicate conditions such as heart attack, arrhythmia, or heart defects. There are many ECG devices available which can detect and amplify this differential biological signal from the heart, allowing a lot of information to be collected quickly. The ECG is often small and easy to use, but its power is supplied from regular batteries, which need to be replaced after a certain period of use. This causes discomfort for elderly users. To overcome this limitation, in this paper, we aim to develop a solar-powered, portable Bluetooth device for ECG measurements. The device can be interfaced with smartphones or other wireless devices via Bluetooth by a distance up to 100 m. The ECG device was designed to use solar energy, which is also the main power source. Following the solar energy harvesting circuit is a solar panel with an output voltage of 2.4 V and a power out of 0.25 W. We optimized the design to have a very low power consumption and in sleep mode the current consumption is only around 40 µA. The device was designed with 24-bit resolution and a sampling frequency of up to 2133 Hz, which can allow high accuracy ECG measurements. The device is not only used for heart rate monitoring, but it can also assist doctors in analyzing ECG signals with a high accuracy via embedded operating software.

Highlights

According to worldwide statistics in 2018, the average life expectancy of men is 70 and for women it is 74 years
According to reports from the American Heart Association, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases listed as the cause of death account for nearly 836,546 deaths in the United States
Due to the small size requirement, the batteries used for ECG equipment often have a limited capacity, and so, must be periodically replaced. This often leads to problems in emergencies, especially for elderly patients [10]. To deal with this issue, we developed a portable ECG device that uses solar energy as the main energy source so that there is no need to replace the battery

Summary

Introduction

According to worldwide statistics in 2018, the average life expectancy of men is 70 and for women it is 74 years. There is a big difference in life expectancy between regions and countries around the world. According to reports from the American Heart Association, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases listed as the cause of death account for nearly 836,546 deaths in the United States. One ofthree cases of heart disease in the United States leads to death. Every day approximately 2300 Americans die from cardiovascular disease and there is a death every 38 s. The number of adult Americans living with certain types of cardiovascular disease or the consequences of stroke is about 92.1 million. The estimated cost is about 329.7 billion USD for cardiovascular and stroke treatment, including medical costs and loss of productivity [1]

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