Development of a wearable multi-frequency impedance cardiography device

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases and pulmonary edema can be diagnosed early using vital signs and thoracic bio-impedance.
• Continuous monitoring of vital parameters via electrocardiogram (ECG) and impedance cardiogram (ICG) is crucial for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and describe a mobile system for continuous monitoring of ECG and multi-frequency ICG.
• To enable early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and pulmonary edema through portable vital sign monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Developed a compact, low-power mobile system integrating ECG, ICG, and radio transmission.
• Utilized energy-efficient hardware for extended battery operation (up to 18 hours) with Bluetooth data transmission.
• Implemented multi-frequency thoracic impedance measurements (5-150 kHz).

Main Results:

• Achieved a board size of 6.5 cm x 5 cm with high component integration.
• Demonstrated a relative error of less than 1% for impedance measurements.
• Showed a high correlation (r=0.83, p<0.05) between ECG/ICG measurements and commercial devices, allowing approximate calculation of heart stroke volume.

Conclusions:

• The developed mobile system facilitates continuous, multi-frequency ECG and ICG monitoring.
• The system's portability, energy efficiency, and accuracy support early diagnosis of critical cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions.
• This technology offers a promising advancement for remote patient monitoring and timely medical intervention.