Precordial Vibrations: A Review of Wearable Systems, Signal Processing Techniques, and Main Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Technology
• Wearable Health Monitoring

Background:

• Growing demand for out-of-laboratory heart function monitoring for early cardiovascular disease detection.
• Emergence of wearable sensors recording seismic waves from cardiac mechanical activity on the chest surface.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current wearable technologies for measuring precordial (chest) vibrations.
• To analyze sensor technologies, signal processing techniques, and application scenarios for cardiac monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Review of wearable sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, fiber optic sensors) for capturing cardiac vibrations (acceleration, angular velocity, displacement).
• Analysis of signal processing techniques for extracting relevant cardiac parameters.
• Discussion of application scenarios, experimental protocols, and influencing factors for each technique.

Main Results:

• Identified key sensor technologies and signal processing methods for wearable cardiac vibration monitoring.
• Detailed exploration of application scenarios and experimental considerations for remote cardiac assessment.

Conclusions:

• A holistic view of wearable systems, signal processing, and application scenarios is crucial for effective cardiac monitoring.
• This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the field beyond just sensor technology.