Wireless CardioS framework for continuous ECG acquisition | JoVE Visualize

Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Wearable Technology
Signal Processing

Background:

Continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is crucial for cardiac health, but existing systems are often costly or unsuitable for resource-constrained environments.
Dry textile electrodes offer a promising alternative to traditional gel electrodes for wearable ECG systems, potentially reducing cost and improving user comfort.
Assessing the long-term performance and signal quality of wireless textile-based ECG systems is essential for their clinical adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose and evaluate a novel, low-cost, textile-based wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system named CardioS.
To assess the signal quality and long-term performance of CardioS using silver-plated nylon woven (Ag-NyW) dry electrodes.
To compare the performance of the CardioS system with both wired textile electrodes and standard clinical disposable electrodes.

Main Methods:

Developed a wireless ECG monitoring system (CardioS) utilizing Ag-NyW dry textile electrodes for Lead-I ECG signal acquisition.
Investigated the effect of prolonged usage (six weeks) on the impedance of Ag-NyW electrodes.
Measured electrode half-cell potential to confirm suitability for ECG acquisition.
Evaluated signal quality using parameters like coherence spectra, cross-correlation, signal-to-noise ratio, crest factor, and power spectral density.
Compared CardioS performance against wired Ag-NyW electrodes and Ag-AgCl gel electrodes, with validation by cardiologists.

Main Results:

The impedance of Ag-NyW electrodes increased by 2.5-54.6% after six weeks but remained below the critical 1 MΩ/cm² threshold.
The measured half-cell potential of 80 mV confirmed the suitability of Ag-NyW electrodes for ECG acquisition.
Signal fidelity parameters from Ag-NyW electrodes correlated well with standard disposable electrodes.
Cardiologists confirmed good ECG signal acquisition performance from five healthy subjects using the CardioS framework.

Conclusions:

The proposed CardioS system, utilizing Ag-NyW dry textile electrodes, provides a viable low-cost solution for continuous ECG monitoring.
The wireless CardioS framework demonstrates robust performance and signal quality comparable to conventional methods.
CardioS is well-suited for applications in resource-constrained environments, addressing the demand for accessible continuous health monitoring.