DR.BEAT: Initial Functional Testing of a BCG Wearable Prototype for Recording Ballistocardiographic Signals

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Space Medicine

Background:

• Ballistocardiography (BCG) offers a non-invasive method for assessing cardiovascular function.
• Miniaturization of BCG sensors is crucial for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications.
• Developing user-friendly interfaces enhances the practical utility of BCG systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the functional testing of a breadboard prototype for the DR.BEAT system.
• To evaluate the data completeness and plausibility of ballistocardiographic signals.
• To assess the reliability and heart-specific characteristics of the developed sensor system.

Main Methods:

• Development of a miniaturized sensor system for BCG signal acquisition.
• Implementation of signal processing algorithms for data interpretation.
• Functional testing of a breadboard prototype focusing on data completeness and plausibility.

Main Results:

• The DR.BEAT system demonstrated exceptional reliability, achieving 99.99995% over test periods.
• Acquired ballistocardiographic signals exhibited expected heart-specific characteristics.
• Functional tests confirmed the completeness and plausibility of the collected data.

Conclusions:

• The prototype's performance validates the DR.BEAT system's potential for reliable cardiovascular monitoring.
• The confirmed data quality and signal characteristics support the ethical justification for proceeding with initial human studies.
• This research paves the way for advanced BCG applications in diverse environments.