Pulse Rate Research Articles

The Effect of Virtual Reality Practice and Music on Patients' Pain, Comfort, and Vital Signs After Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery.

This research was conducted to identify the effect of virtual reality and music on patients' pain, comfort, and vital signs after laparoscopic abdominal surgery. This study was designed as a prospective randomized controlled single-blind clinical trial. The research population consisted of adult patients who underwent laparoscopic abdominal surgery in surgery clinics. The research sample comprised 225 patients who had laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Experimental groups watched virtual reality videos and listened to music, whereas no intervention was administered to the control group. The research data were evaluated with descriptive statistics, the χ 2 test, the Friedman test, the one-way analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Tukey's and Dunn's post hoc tests. In the post-test phase after the 2 interventions, the virtual reality and music groups had lower pain and comfort levels than the control group, and this intergroup difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05). Results for vital signs in successively repeated post-test measurements after interventions were in general different, and these differences were statistically significant. Patients in the virtual reality group generally had higher pulse rate, diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and body temperature values in successively repeated post-test measurements than patients in other groups ( P <0.05). Patients in the control group generally had higher systolic blood pressure and saturation values in successively repeated post-test measurements than patients in other groups ( P <0.05). It was discerned that music and the virtual reality practice reduced patients' pain and comfort levels and had positive effects on their vital signs after laparoscopic abdominal surgery.

The Effectiveness of Sports Massage and Cold Water Immersion towards Fatigue Recovery and Post-Exercise Stress Levels of Sprinters at the Student Sports Education and Training Center (PPLP)

The first objective of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of sport massage and cold water immersion in the post-exercise fatigue recovery of the PPLP sprinter athletes. Second, to determine the effectiveness of sports massage and cold water immersion in reducing post-exercise stress levels of the PPLP sprinter athletes. This research used an experimental method with a pretest-posttest-control group design. The research population was PPLP Bogor 100m sprint athletes, totaling 30 athletes and they were divided into 3 treatment groups: Sport Massage, Cold Water Immersion, and Control. The sampling technique was random sampling with certain criteria. The three groups received an exercise simulation with a duration of 60 minutes divided into 10 minutes of warm up, 45 minutes of exercise, and 5 minutes of cooling down. Before and after the treatment, pretest and posttest were conducted including the level of fatigue recovery (pulse rate, RPE, FAS) and post exercise stress level (Daily Wellness Questionnaire). The normality test used Shapiro Wilks and the data homogeneity test referred to the Levene test. Testing the effectiveness used one way ANOVA for normally distributed data and for the data that was not normally distributed using the Kruskal Wallis test. The data was then processed by using the statistical program SPSS 22. The results show that (1) there are differences in the effectiveness of sport massage and cold water immersion towards the level of post-exercise fatigue of PPLP sprinters. There are differences in treatment effectiveness between the three groups (p &lt; 0.05) for pulse and RPE variables. In the Tukey post hoc test it is found that there is a difference in effectiveness between sport massage and the control group (p &lt; 0.05) and between cold water immersion and the control group (p &lt; 0.05). However, between sports massage and cold water immersion there is no significant difference in recovering fatigue levels. (2) There is no difference in the effectiveness of sport massage and cold water immersion towards the level of post- exercise stress reduction of PPLP sprinters with a significance value (p &gt; 0.05). Hence, in recovering post-exercise fatigue, sports massage or cold water immersion recovery techniques can be used according to the needs of athletes compared to passive rest.

Smart Autonomous Nurse Assistant Robot (SANAR)

Abstract: In the evolving landscape of healthcare, the integration of innovative technologies has become paramount to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and usability across all sectors, particularly in the medical industry. This project proposes the development of a Smart Autonomous Nurse Assistant Robot (SANAR) aimed at revolutionizing medical care delivery, especially during emergencies and pandemics like Covid-19. SANAR utilizes cutting-edge technology to streamline disease diagnosis, monitor patient health in real-time, and facilitate drug delivery. The core of SANAR's functionality lies in its utilization of a health tracker system-based IoT platform, which continuously analyzes vital patient data, including oxygen levels, pulse rate, and temperature. Through simple text commands and a timer-based medicine scheduler, SANAR ensures timely medication administration, leveraging a cloud server for seamless data access and management with utmost security. Equipped with advanced sensors such as oximeter, heartbeat, ultrasonic sensors, and a voice module, SANAR leverages Internet of Things (IoT) technology to enable data storage and retrieval over HTTP and MQTT protocols, facilitating connectivity and scalability. The primary goal of this project is to democratize smart automation in healthcare, making it accessible and affordable to all segments of society, ultimately empowering medical staff to deliver efficient and effective care.

CORRELATION BETWEEN BLOOD TYPE AND SEVERITY OF COVID-19 RESPIRATORY COMPLICATIONS WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON SPO2 CATEGORIES

Background:In the relentless fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have diligently sought to identify high-risk groups to mitigate severe consequences. This study specifically explores the link between the types of ABOblood groups and COVID-19, aiming to establish a correlation between theABOblood groups and the severity of respiratory illness caused by this virus. While various studies have delved into this association, our research stands out as the first from the COVID-designated hospital affiliated with a tertiary care academic institute in Delhi-NCR. Methods: A prospective study at Sharda Hospital (January 2022-January 2023) included 219 COVID-19 patients. Blood types, demographics, and clinical data were collected. Severity was categorized per Ministry of Health criteriawhich takes into consideration SpO2 levels and respiratory rate. Normal distribution was confirmed by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests were used for significance assessment, with p&lt; 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results:In this study of 219 COVID-19 patients, ages 41-50 constituted 23.3%, males dominated (n=154), and severe cases correlated with pulse rate &gt;100 and oxygen saturation &lt;92% (p &lt; 0.001). Blood group distribution showed skewed deviation, with 42.5% A positive. No significant association between smoking and blood group was found in the population under study. Discussion: Our findings contradict some existing literature, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of COVID-19 outcomes. While blood type may impact susceptibility, its role in determining severity appears nuanced. Further research should explore the intricate interplay between blood type, comorbidities, and COVID-19 outcomes. Conclusion:In this study, a predominance of A blood group among COVID-19 patients was observed, but no significant association with illness severity was identified, necessitating further research to understand the underlying mechanisms.

IoT Based Medical Assessor and Predictor for HealthCare Solutions

Abstract: The introduction of cutting-edge, intelligent medical equipment into the virtual doctor system is orchestrating a remarkable transformation within community healthcare. Research in the healthcare sector has unveiled promising developments in extending human lifespan. However, obtaining healthcare services in remote areas remains a formidable challenge as patients often have to endure long journeys for treatment. The incorporation of IoT technology offers a viable solution by allowing real-time monitoring of vital signs through sensors like heart rate, Spo2, temperature, B.P and ECG sensors, measuring pulse rate, blood oxygen levels, body temperature, and blood pressure, respectively and applying different machine learning algorithms to predict the condition of the patient and suggest some precautions &amp; medications. The reliability of the collected data is assured, and ThingSpeak software transmits this data to the cloud, enabling the delivery of professional healthcare services to those in need. Notably, statistics reveal that in India, the doctor-to-patient ratio stands at 1:854, underscoring the crucial role of this technology in addressing healthcare requirements in rural communities.

Dyspnea management in patients with pneumonia and coronary artery disease: A case study

Background: Cardiovascular disease, particularly Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), is strongly linked to pneumonia. Patients suffering from both pneumonia and CAD frequently experience dyspnea as a symptom. Dyspnea, caused by both conditions, can significantly impact the patient's quality of life. Consequently, it is crucial to address and manage dyspnea in individuals with pneumonia and CAD. Purpose: To provide a thorough overview of managing dyspnea in patients with pneumonia and CAD in public hospitals in West Java, Indonesia. Method: Employing a case study methodology using a nursing care approach, encompassing nursing assessment, data analysis, diagnosis, intervention, implementation, evaluation, and documentation. The assessment indicated that the patient experienced shortness of breath, with a blood pressure of 145/86 mmHg, a respiratory rate of 24 breaths per minute, a pulse rate of 95 beats per minute, and an oxygen saturation level of 88%. The patient received 5 liters per minute of oxygen via a nasal cannula, and their body temperature measured 36.4ºC. Results: In this case study, dyspnea management involved positioning the patient, administering oxygen therapy in stages, and providing pharmacological treatments, including diuretics and antibiotics. Additional therapies included respiratory muscle training and effective cough exercises. These interventions successfully reduced the patient's respiratory rate to 18 breaths per minute and increased their oxygen saturation to 97% with a nasal cannula. Additionally, the patient's Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale score decreased to 1 out of 5. Conclusion: Nursing care management that includes positioning the patient in a semi-Fowler's position while resting and a Fowler's position when awake, administering oxygen therapy in stages, providing pharmacological treatments such as diuretics and antibiotics, and conducting respiratory muscle training, can lower the breathing rate and alleviate symptoms of shortness of breath in patients with pneumonia and coronary artery disease.

Wireless Pulse Wave Monitoring System Based on Reflective Flexible Probe and AFE4490

Pulse rate and blood oxygen levels are crucial physiological parameters that reflect physiological and pathological information within the human body. The system designs a wireless pulse wave monitoring system utilizing a flexible reflective probe and the AFE4490, which is capable of monitoring pulse wave and blood oxygen levels on the human forehead. The system is predominantly based on a reflective flexible probe, the AFE4490, a power supply module, a control microcontroller unit (MCU), and a Wi-Fi module. Post-processing by a slave computer, the collected pulse wave data is wirelessly transmitted to a smartphone. The real-time pulse waveform, pulse rate, and blood oxygen levels are displayed on an application. Following relevant tests and verifications, the system can accurately detect pulse wave signals, meet the requirements for wearable technology, and possesses significant market application potential.

Multimodal electrohydrodynamic jet printing-based microstructure-sensitized flexible pressure sensor

Surface modification with micro/nanostructures is a common approach for enhancing the performance of flexible pressure sensors. However, the current fabrication of the singular functionality of instruments and redundancy of processes increase the complexity of the sensor manufacturing process. In this study, we developed a multilayer microstructure-enhanced flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on the multimodal electrohydrodynamic jet (E-jet) printing technology. The experimental results demonstrate that the sensors incorporating the microstructure-sensitized electrode layer and the polyvinyl alcohol/graphene/polydimethylsiloxane dielectric layer exhibit the following characteristics: high sensitivity (0.3139 kPa−1/0–2 kPa), low limit of detection (∼100 mg), and stable performance even after 10,000 cycles. Moreover, microstructure-enhanced sensors have considerable potential for human behavior detection, such as detecting fluid flow, tracking muscle movements, and measuring pulse rates. Finally, microstructure-enhanced sensors fabricated using the E-jet printing method present a novel approach for designing sensitized structures in capacitive pressure sensors.

The Relationship Between Energy Drinks A and B with Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate Increase Among College Students

The Relationship Between Energy Drinks A and B with Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate Increase Among College Students

Assessing the survival time of hospitalized patients in Eastern Ethiopia during 2019-2020 using the Bayesian approach: A retrospective cohort study.

Severe acute malnutrition remains a significant health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine the survival time of under-five children with severe acute malnutrition. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a hospital, focusing on under-five children with severe acute malnutrition. The study included 322 inpatients admitted to the Chiro hospital in Chiro, Ethiopia, between September 2019 and August 2020, whose data was obtained from medical records. Survival functions were analysed using Kaplan‒Meier plots and log-rank tests. The survival time of severe acute malnutrition was further analysed using the Cox proportional hazards model and Bayesian parametric survival models, employing integrated nested Laplace approximation methods. Among the 322 patients, 118 (36.6%) died as a result of severe acute malnutrition. The estimated median survival time for inpatients was found to be 2 weeks. Model selection criteria favored the Bayesian Weibull accelerated failure time model, which demonstrated that age, body temperature, pulse rate, nasogastric(NG) tube usage, hypoglycemia, anemia, diarrhea, dehydration, malaria, and pneumonia significantly influenced the survival time of severe acute malnutrition. This study revealed that children below 24 months, those with altered body temperature and pulse rate, NG tube usage, hypoglycemia, and comorbidities such as anemia, diarrhea, dehydration, malaria, and pneumonia had a shorter survival time when affected by severe acute malnutrition under the age of five. To reduce the death rate of children under 5 years of age, it is necessary to design community management for acute malnutrition to ensure early detection and improve access to and coverage for children who are malnourished.

Effect of Auriculotherapy on Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Auriculotherapy, a form of therapy that involves stimulating specific points on the ear auricle, has garnered attention for its potential in holistic stress management in adults, aligning with broader patient-centered therapeutic approaches. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of auriculotherapy for stress relief in adults. Methods: A comprehensive search of nine databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, RISS, KMbase, and KISS) was performed, yielding 553 studies. Of these, 12 were selected for meta-analysis based on the inclusion criteria, which considered demographic data, types of auriculotherapy, intervention characteristics, auricular points, and stress-related outcomes. The risk of bias was also evaluated for each selected study. Results: The meta-analysis results (n = 12) indicated that auriculotherapy was significantly superior to the control group in terms of subjective stress index, blood pressure, heart rate variability, and pulse rate, as well as improving low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) heart rate components and their ratio (LF/HF) in adults. Additionally, the subgroup analysis indicated a trend where the effect size of acupressure may be larger than that of acupuncture. Conclusions: Our findings underscore auriculotherapy's efficacy in reducing stress in adults, advocating for its integration into nursing curriculums as a viable clinical intervention for stress management. Promoting its application in clinical environments could complement holistic, patient-centric care paradigms.

Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Stress at Work: A Comprehensive Study on Indian Nurses

Background Nurses’ physical and mental well-being is crucial for prompt patient-care service. While research has been conducted on the specific causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and occupational stress among Indian nurses, a comprehensive picture considering all these variables is still lacking. This study investigated MSD prevalence and psychosocial stress levels among female nurses in West Bengal, India, and the connections between these factors and MSDs. Methods The study was performed in nine different hospitals and nursing homes in West Bengal, India. The modified Nordic questionnaire and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) were used. The body height, body weight, BMI, pulse rate and blood pressure of the subjects were measured using an anthropometer, a weighing machine and a digital blood pressure monitor, respectively. Results 80.9% of subjects reported that they had discomfort in the past 12 months, with the highest percentage (52.1%) of complaints of low-back pain. From COPSOQ, concerning mean values were found in the demand scales and general health. The presence of different discomforts was found to be significantly related to various scales of COPSOQ. Conclusion Increased cognitive, quantitative and sensorial demands were found to be major contributors to the high prevalence of MSDs among nurses in this study. As the well-being of nurses is pivotal for maintaining well-ordered health systems, regular follow-ups on their physical and psychological health are necessary.

Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Former Pulmonary Tuberculosis: a Case Report

A 36-year-old male presented to the hospital with a chief symptom of dyspnea that began one day before admission and increased during the night upon admission. The individual does not experience nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and has regular urination and normal bowel movements. Loss of appetite and fatigue. There is no prior record of comparable grievances. The existence of a history of trauma cannot be refuted. Past medical history: The patient had pulmonary TB and completed treatment in April 2023. During the physical examination, the patient's overall condition was observed to be moderately unwell, with a clear and alert state of consciousness. Assessment of vital signs revealed a blood pressure of 117/84 mmHg, a pulse rate of 65 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 25 breaths per minute, a body temperature of 37°C, and an oxygen saturation level of 94%. In the thoracic region, the examination reveals the following findings: - Inspection shows movement of the chest wall on the left side. - Palpation detects weakened tactile fremitus on the left side. - Percussion produces a hypersonor sound on the left side. - Auscultation reveals normal vesicular sounds on the right side and weak vesicular sounds on the left side. Rhonchi are not present, but wheezing is heard in both sides of the chest. The supporting studies yielded a complete blood count within normal range, a VCT examination showing non-reactive HIV antibodies, a TCM sputum examination with undetectable MTB findings, and a chest X-ray examination indicating left pneumothorax and active pulmonary TB.

Storytelling using self-designed image-based storybook as tools for reducing dental anxiety in 5 to 12-years-old children: a narrative therapy

Background: Children commonly experience dental anxiety, marked by a general feeling of fear when they have not encountered the situation before. By incorporating positive dental information through storytelling or engaging dental activity books, children can be effectively reassured and mentally prepared for their initial dental appointments. Storytelling and storybooks in healthcare serves multiple functions such as educating patients and their families, promoting specific qualities, and enhancing behaviors. Methods: A randomized clinical study involving 240 children aged 5 to 12 years was conducted. The children were randomly assigned to three groups of 80 each: group 1 (received storytelling with image-based storybook), group 2 (received only storytelling), and the control group (received neither). Pulse rate and anxiety assessment using animated emoji scale measurements were taken at the start of the appointment, after the intervention before treatment, and after dental treatment. Results: The interventional groups 1 and 2 showed a significant difference compared to the control group for pulse rate and animated emoji scale. Group 1 exhibited the highest reduction in anxiety as measured using the animated emoji scale and pulse rate. Conclusions: In conclusion, providing children with a dental storybook before dental treatment can decrease dental anxiety and improve their behavior during the dental treatment.

ETL-FEXIC Model For Secured Heart Rate Abnormality Healthcare Framework

In traditional methods, it is critical for an effective continuous pulse monitor for humans prone to heart rate abnormalities. This paper proposes a secured heartrate abnormality detector which continuously monitors human pulse rate and SpO2 level. The current studies proposes that machine learning (ML) models performs well in classification; also, TinyML model shows better performance for data from resource constrained IoT devices. Hence, the research first analyses abnormal heart rate detection and spam data identification using standard ML algorithms such as SVM, Random Forest, Decision Tree, and TinyML. Though ML models are superior in classification, deep learning approaches outperforms them in feature learning. Hence, our proposed framework combines the merits of both ML and DL models. In our approach, the generated healthcare dataset is fed to DL models such as ANN, and autoencoder and also to SHAP XAI (eXplainable Artificial Intelligence) for feature extraction and learning. These learnt features are fed to ML models for classification. In this experiment, the proposed ETL-FEXIC (Enhanced Tiny Machine Learning with Automated Feature Extraction) outperforms the other ML models where the extracted features from XAI is fed to optimized TinyML classification model.

A Narrative Review of In‐Textile Sensors in Human Health Applications

AbstractSensors have become more versatile and sophisticated in recent years to fulfill the increasing demands for human health applications. Physiological information such as electrocardiogram, pulse rate, and respiration are essential indications of personal health, often collected as vitals, which are typically collected from medical‐grade electrocardiogram (ECG) machines. In‐textile sensors are a fast‐growing sub‐category of wearable sensors embedded in smart textiles to acquire physiological information and movement index and provide harmful chemical warnings without compromising the comfortable nature of clothing. Recent literature has shown that integrating new materials has greatly improved the stability, specificity, and selectivity of in‐textile sensors. For example, polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber produced a highly stretchable sensor to measure ECG readings during movement without losing data quality. This review discusses a group of nanomaterial‐based in‐textile sensors for consumer use in the home, workplace, and healthcare environments. This review will focus on exploring and analyzing the latest developments in these nanomaterial‐based e‐textiles due to their ability to be more easily integrated for daily use and their great potential for medical applications. Future work will be necessary to incorporate recycled materials, improve the method of powering these sensors, and ultimately refine the designs to be appropriate for more sustainable use.

CORRELATION OF KNEE PAIN AMONG SUBJECTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS TAKING GRAPHENE-BASED THERMOTHERAPY FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

Leg health is an important consideration in a person’s overall well-being, and knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the problems that reduces leg health. Thermotherapy therapy has long been recognized as one of the methods for treating knee OA pain. This study recruited 30 subjects with OA (aged 45–80, height of 155–175[Formula: see text]cm, weight of 60–95[Formula: see text]kg and body mass index of 18–40) to participate in a repeated measure for inter-subject and intra-subject analysis on pre- and post-treatment-based thermotherapy sessions where SpO2, pulse rate (PR) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were measured within 4 weeks of explorative study. When a subject is subjected to thermotherapy, SpO2 increases and PR decreases compared with those of the control group, which did not present significant differences. The findings show a high degree of inter- and intra-subject repeatability. When a subject received thermotherapy for 4 weeks, his or her overall leg health improved, as indicated by a high KOOS and high KOOS-pain score. This is demonstrated by an increase in KOOS over the course of 4 weeks of thermotherapy.

Frequency-Dependent Variability of Pulse Wave Transit Time: Pilot Study.

The dynamics of the pulse wave (PW) associated with the PW transit time variability (PWTTV) determines the peripheral pulse rate variability, which is used as a surrogate for heart rate variability (HRV). The aim of the work is to analyze the frequency-dependent dynamics of PWTTV and to identify the possible frequency-phase modulation of PW velocity oscillations on the transit from the heart to the soft tissues of the distal parts of the upper extremities. RR-interval recordings and synchronous records of photoplethysmograms of 12 conditionally healthy subjects from the PhysioNet open database were used in this work. Using the Hilbert-Huang transform 3 spectral components of PWTTV and HRV were identified. It was shown that the amplitudes of PWTTV oscillations were many times (up to 8.4 times) smaller than the amplitudes of HRV, and the peaks of PWTTV spectral components were shifted towards higher frequencies than those of HRV. Functional relations between PWTTV and HRV, which can determine the phase modulation of periodic changes in the PW propagation velocity, were revealed.

The impact of clinical audits on patient radiation exposure for device procedures

Abstract Background Clinical audits aim to ensure ideal use of ionizing radiation in clinical practice. Since it became mandatory by Swiss law in 2018, such an audit also took place in our Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology Division at the University Heart Center. Purpose To establish local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for specific procedures and to examine if patient radiation exposure was reduced after the clinical audit. Methods Retrospective cohort study including patients from October 2018 to October 2020 who underwent device implantation, including pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), or lead extraction / device explantation. Main measures to reduce radiation exposure after the audit were lower pulsed fluoroscopy frame rates and dose characteristics at baseline. Patient radiation exposure was evaluated with the dose-area product (DAP), cumulative dose, fluoroscopy time, and the number of cine acquisitions. Secondary endpoints included the effective dose, the acute procedural success rate and 30-day complications. Data were collected from a dose management system and cross-checked for accuracy with the patient information system. The third quartiles were set as local DRLs. Data before and after the clinical audit were compared. Results A total of 541 patients (45.7 % before the audit, 54.3% after the audit) were included. 28.3% had a conventional pacemaker, 22.0% a leadless pacemaker, 21.1% an ICD, and 17.2% a CRT implantation. Lead extraction / device explantation was undergone by 11.5% of patients. The local DRLs (including all procedures before and after the audit) for the DAP were significantly lower as compared to national DRLs (6.2 dGy.cm2 versus 300 dGy.cm2 for conventional pacemakers; 7.6 dGy.cm2 versus 200 dGy.cm2 for ICDs, 203 dGy.cm2 versus 570 dGy.cm2 for CRTs). After the audit, DAP (Figure 1), cumulative dose, effective dose and the number of cine acquisition significantly decreased for conventional pacemakers (p-value ≤ 0.04), whereas no significant differences were observed for the other procedures. The acute procedural success rate (98.4 vs 98.9%) and the 30-day complications (4.0 vs 7.8%) were not significantly different before and after the audit. Conclusions The clinical audit in our institution led to a significant reduction of radiation exposure for patients during pacemaker implantations. Regarding DRLs, local values were far below national DRLs, which suggests that national DRLs need to be updated more regularly. Our study highlights the importance of clinical audits and the need for more research in this field.

Wearable self-powered ballistic signal detectors with ferroelectric composites arrays for cardiovascular and diabetic complication

Abstract Background Flexible and wearable electronic devices with lightweight are needed to monitor and guide treatment in patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetic complication. We aimed to develop self-powered wearable bio-signal sensing arrays for cardiovascular and diabetic complication diagnosis and continuous monitoring. Methods Ferroelectric composites were designed to have piezoelectric property and high flexibility. Detection of arterial pulse as ballistogram (BCG) was simultaneously compared with electrocardiogram (ECG) in 20 controls. Heart rate and components of ECG was compared with those of BCG. Then, 9 ferroelectric BCG sensors as a square type array with self-power generation were fabricated to attachable thin film. Pressure distribution with BCG sensor array attached to socks were compared between 20 controls and 20 patients with diabetic neuropathy or vasculopathy during standing and ambulation for gait pressure distribution. Pressure distribution pattern was compared to neuropathy and vasculopathy parameters. Results Heart rate between BCG and ECG was significantly correlated (interclass correlation coefficient, ICC 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-0.99, p&amp;lt;0.001). QRS and T wave in ECG were correlated to second and third wave in BCG. Radial artery augmentation index by blood pressure monitoring was significantly correlated to BCG pressure (ICC 0.76, 95% CI 0.38-0.90, p=0.002). Analysis of foot pressure distribution demonstrated the highest pressure point at the anterolateral plantar area below a little tow. However, pressure gradient between anterolateral and anteromedial plantar area in diabetic patients was greater than that in controls (42.3±10.2 mV vs. 31.2±8.5 mV, p=0.024). Pressure gradient in diabetic patients was correlated to ankle-brachial index (ICC 0.62, 95% CI 0.32-0.90, p=0.036), but not to neuropathy parameters. Conclusion Wearable BCG sensor could accurately detect heart rate, blood pressure index and significantly correlated to ABI. Pressure distribution pattern and gradient analysis in diabetic patients by wearable BCG sensor arrays might predict diabetic complications. Gait remedial training guided by wearable BCG sensor arrays might aid to prevent diabetic complications.