Design of a Low-Cost Wearable Heart and Respiratory Rate Measurement Device Using an Arduino and Bluetooth Module

The respiratory rate (RR) as well as the heart rate (HR) are two of the main vital signs that show how well a person's body is performing. The heart rate is defined as the number of times a person's heart beats in one minute, whereas the respiratory rate is defined as the number of times a person breathes in one minute (breaths per minute). Measurement of heart rate and respiratory rate often indicates a person's health condition and may identify any cardiovascular or respiratory illness. Existing wearable health smart devices are expensive and are often inaccurate. The objective of this manuscript is to develop a cheap, high-accuracy wearable heart rate and respiration rate monitoring system. A photoplethysmography (PPG) based heart rate monitor, and chest motion-based respiratory rate monitor has been used here. For the PPG-based heart rate monitor, we designed an efficient and accurate heartbeat sensor circuit. For the respiratory rate monitor, we used the concept of chest motion during exhalation and inhalation of air during the breathing process to design a chest belt module to measure a person's breathing activity. The prototype of these measurement devices was then tested on multiple test volunteers for evaluating the system's performance at various conditions. The materials used for designing this system and its performance make the device a cost-effective and reliable alternative to existing wearable smart health devices. The amount of breath completed per 60 seconds is known as the respiratory rate. When an individual is steady, the rate is typically calculated by calculating the number of breaths taken in one minute and noting the amount of times the chest rises. Fever, sickness, and other medical conditions will cause you to breathe faster. In the current situation of COVID-19, it is very necessary to check the respiratory rate to check the patient's current health status. Therefore, our project will be helpful for the COVID patients also.