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Characterisation of Textile Embedded Electrodes for Use in a Neonatal Smart Mattress Electrocardiography System
Henry Dore1, Rodrigo Aviles-Espinosa1, Zhenhua Luo2
1Robotics and Mechatronics Systems Research Group, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 5, 2021
Summary
This study presents a novel non-contact electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system for newborns. The system uses textile-embedded sensors to provide rapid, accurate heart rate readings, improving neonatal care.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neonatal Medicine
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Heart rate monitoring is critical for newborns in the delivery room.
- Clinical recommendations advocate for electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to reduce mortality.
- Current methods can be time-consuming and intrusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and develop a non-contact ECG monitoring solution for real-time data delivery in delivery rooms.
- To enable unobtrusive and continuous monitoring during interventions.
- To improve the accuracy and speed of heart rate measurement in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Development of a real-time, high-resolution ECG acquisition system using a low-power embedded platform.
- Fabrication and characterization of textile-embedded, non-contact electrodes.
- Proof-of-concept testing with simulated and human cardiac signals.
Main Results:
- Achieved heart rate accuracy within ±1 beat per minute for test ECG signals.
- Demonstrated accurate beat-to-beat morphology reproduction (correlation coefficient ~87%) from human volunteer ECG recordings.
- Realized a time from application to heart rate display of under 6 seconds.
Conclusions:
- Flexible, non-contact, textile-based electrodes are suitable for wearable devices in neonatal heart rate monitoring.
- The developed system serves as a proof of concept for a complete neonate ECG monitoring solution.
- This technology has the potential to enhance infant care during and after birth.
