Necklace monitors cardiac performance on the go

Necklace monitors cardiac performance on the go

Researchers at IMEC (Leuven, Belgium) and the Holst Centre (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) have unveiled a prototype electrocardiogram (ECG) necklace that enables long-term monitoring of cardiac performance, allowing patients the freedom to go about daily activities for up to 7 days while under observation.

ECG necklace can be worn to monitor cardiac performance during everyday activities. (Courtesy of IMEC)

The robust, user-friendly necklace is designed to cope with potential issues such as baseline wander, EMG (electromyogram) and motion artefacts, and high and variable electrode impedance. Featuring IMEC’s proprietary ultra-low-power analog-readout ASIC, the necklace relies on a low-power commercial radio/microprocessor platform. A wavelet-based heartbeat detection algorithm, capable of achieving 99.8% sensitivity and 99.77% positive predictivity on both the MIT-BIH database and a proprietary database of ambulatory ECG recordings, is embedded into the processor. It can detect a heartbeat with 1-sample resolution, even under high levels of noise. A satisfactory performance is achieved until 0-dB SNR (signal to noise ratio). Long-distance data logging is possible via an optional memory module, and a second ultra-low-power microcontroller unit can wirelessly transmit ECG data to a computer within a range of 10 m.

The introduction of this necklace is a small component of the Human++ research program, through which IMEC and Holst Centre aim to leverage their expertise in nanoelectronics and nanotechnology to develop solutions for a more efficient and better healthcare. For more information, visit www.imec.be or www.holstcentre.com.

Christina D’Airo