Development of Two Wireless ECG Monitoring Systems and their Performance Assessment

The electrical activity of the heart over a specified period is graphically recorded as Electrocardiogram (ECG). This paper presents two low-cost wireless electrocardiogram measuring systems for frequent use. The proposed methods include a three-electrode ECG signal extraction unit, an analog to digital converter and a wireless transmission-reception unit with an appropriate display system for presenting the ECG. To filter out the noise and amplify the extracted ECG signal a signal conditioning IC AD8232 is used. Then the analog signal is converted to digital data and wirelessly transmitted using two different techniques- microstrip antenna and Bluetooth technology. Furthermore, two unique programs have been developed for this research, to display the ECG signal on a personal computer or an android phone. These applications can store the ECG reports of the patients and if needed this records can be forwarded to a proper medical support system. Finally, clinical tests are carried out to validate the property of the recorded ECG. The outcomes of these assessments confirm the viability and efficacy of this research.