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Published on: December 11, 2019
Clinical Applicability of a Textile 1-Lead ECG Device for Overnight Monitoring
Piero Fontana1,2, Neusa R Adão Martins3,4, Martin Camenzind5
1Empa, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland. piero.fontana@empa.ch.
A new textile electrocardiography (ECG) belt offers valid long-term monitoring, outperforming traditional gel electrodes. This wearable ECG device shows high accuracy for measuring heart rate variability during sleep studies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Single-use gel electrodes for 1-lead electrocardiography (ECG) are standard in clinical settings.
- Gel electrodes have limitations for long-term monitoring, including skin irritation and detachment issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the validity and signal quality of a textile ECG-belt for long-term measurements in a clinical context.
- To assess the performance of the textile ECG-belt during overnight sleep studies.
Main Methods:
- Overnight polysomnography was conducted on 242 patients with suspected sleep apnea.
- A 1-lead ECG was recorded using the textile ECG-belt, and R-peak intervals (RR-intervals) were calculated.
Main Results:
- The textile ECG-belt demonstrated high validity for RR-interval measurements, with a mean difference of -2.9 ms and a Pearson r of 0.91.
- Signal validity decreased when patients were in a side-lying position, possibly due to belt fit.
- The standard error of estimate was 0.39%.
Conclusions:
- The textile ECG-belt is a valid tool for long-term RR-interval measurements in clinical settings.
- Optimizing the wearability and fit of the textile ECG-belt could further enhance its accuracy for future applications.
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