In-Ear Heart Rate Monitoring Using a Micro-Optic Reflective Sensor

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death in western industrial nations. It is of great interest of both physician and patient to determine the cardiovascular risk factors early in order to take preventive measures. To assist the recognition of irregularities in a subject's cardiovascular system, we develop an optic 24/7 in-ear monitoring system (IN-MONIT). The central component is a micro-optic remission/reflection sensor (MORES), which is placed inside the auditory canal. There the pulsation of blood within the capillaries is measured by means of optical absorption. From the resulting photoplethysmographic curves (pulse plethysmogram, PPG), the heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO₂), respiratory rate and higher order moments can be derived. The optical absorption data are processed locally using a microcontroller and the results are transferred wirelessly to a personal digital assistant (PDA) or PC for sophisticated classification. This paper introduces the IN-MONIT system and two algorithms for heart rate determination from ECG or PPG data. The performance of these algorithms was tested using annotated ECG data from the ldquoMIT-BIH Normal Sinus Rhythm Databaserdquo, synchronously recorded ECG and pulse oximeter data, and data acquired by the MORES sensor.