A wearable device for recording of biopotentials and body movements

Abstract

Long term recording of biomedical signals such as ECG, EMG, respiration and other information (e.g. body motion) can improve diagnosis and potentially monitor the evolution of many widespread diseases. However, long term monitoring requires specific solutions, portable and wearable equipment that should be particularly comfortable for patients. The key-issues of portable biomedical instrumentation are: power consumption, long-term sensor stability, comfortable wearing and wireless connectivity. In this scenario, it would be valuable to realize prototypes using available technologies to assess long-term personal monitoring and foster new ways to provide healthcare services. The aim of this work is to discuss the advantages and the drawbacks in long term monitoring of biopotentials and body movements using textile electrodes embedded in clothes. The textile electrodes were embedded into garments; tiny shirt and short were used to acquire electrocardiographic and electromyographic signals. The garment was equipped with low power electronics for signal acquisition and data wireless transmission via Bluetooth. A small, battery powered, biopotential amplifier and three-axes acceleration body monitor was realized. Patient monitor incorporates a microcontroller, analog-to-digital signal conversion at programmable sampling frequencies. The system was able to acquire and to transmit realtime signals, within 10 m range, to any Bluetooth device (including PDA or cellular phone). The electronics were embedded in the shirt resulting comfortable to wear for patients. Small size MEMS 3-axes accelerometers were also integrated.

Augmented Reality for Restoration/Reconstruction of Artefacts with Artistic or Historical Value

“…The Inside-Out Systems deal with sensors attached to the body while sources are located somewhere else in the world. Examples are the systems based on accelerometers (Fiorentino et al, 2011;Mostarac et al, 2011;Silva et al, 2011), MEMS (Bifulco et al, 2011), ensemble of inertial sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers (Benedetti, Manca et al, 2011), RFID, or IMUs which we applied to successfully measure movements of the human trunk (Saggio & Sbernini, 2011). Within this frame, same research groups and commercial companies have developed sensorized garments for all the parts of the body, over the past 10-15 years, obtaining interesting results (Giorgino et al, 2009;Lorussi, Tognetti et al, 2005;Post et al, 2000).…”

Evaluation of a Behind-the-Ear ECG Device for Smartphone Based Integrated Multiple Smart Sensor System in Health Applications

“…The services and technologies provide relatively uncontroversial, well-communicated and monitoring devices, developed to give more affordable solutions specifically for mobile healthcare, such as daily activity monitoring, personal healthcare and monitoring systems, and body sensor systems that can alert the clinicians via the patients' mobile phones. New trend in remote patient monitoring is moving toward the use of personal mobile devices compatible with multiple biomedical sensors using wireless communication, such as Bluetooth and Zigbee [1].…”

Ear-Lead Multiple Smart Bio Sensor System in M-health

“…The services and technologies provide relatively uncontroversial, well-communicated and monitoring devices, developed to give more affordable solutions specifically for mobile healthcare, such as daily activity monitoring, personal healthcare and monitoring systems, and body sensor systems that can alarm the clinicians via the patients' mobile phones. New trend in remote patient monitoring is moving toward the use of personal mobile devices compatible with multiple biomedical sensors using Bluetooth wireless communication [1].…”