Wireless long-term ECG integrated into clothing

The integration of electronic devices into clothing to monitor biosignals is demonstrated with the integration of a 3-channel ECG device into a shirt. It is shown that several basic requirements concerning the electronic design must be fulfilled, exceeding the capabilities of conventional portable systems. The application of flexible connection and housing technologies is addressed in the present paper. Printed boards should be flexible enough to adapt to movements of the human body. Small size as well as water-resistant or even washable construction is required. Additional points concern replacing the disturbing loose cable connections with a more integrated solution. A long period of operation without recharging the battery, uploading the data or changing the electrodes has to be achieved. The system should feature an uninterrupted 7-day operation period known as 24/7-monitoring regime. Starting with its specification, the basic design of the prototype is presented. First investigations have shown the washability of the shirt together with the inserted electronics.