Mobile ecg to monitor heart patterns

The research team has designed the system to aid the early detection of heart disease by looking at the cardiac patterns of a patient. The information from the detector is sent wirelessly to be stored in a computer.

This information can later be analysed by doctors to check for the need to provide preventive healthcare services.

 One of the researchers Chanchana Tangwongsan said the team had designed the system to allow heart patients to carry the device with them. The system can detect the patient's cardiac rhythm - through three attached electrodes - and compare it with a normal cardiograph pattern.

The detector has an in-built software that manages the signal from the detector, plots a cardiograph and then makes an analysis after comparing the results with a normal cardiac pattern.

If the patient's cardiograph differs from the normal pattern, the software sends the data to the central computer through a Bluetooth network.

As of now, the team has come out with a prototype that measures 12x15 centimetres. It plans to reduce the size of the detector to make it more compact and easier to carry.

The team has also developed a new feature that allows the system to send a warning of the patient's abnormal heart patterns through a cellphone's short messaging system so that the patient can get medical help as soon as possible.

To make the system more convenient for real-world use, the team is planning to link the mobile detector with a mobile phone or a PDA device. This will help keep records of the ECG for those times when the patient is not close to the computer system.

Since data transmission through a Bluetooth network is limited, the use of mobile phones or PDAs will be an easier way to keep records of the patient's heart condition, especially when they are outdoors.

"Instead of sending information to the computer system, which is fixed, we will develop the system to be able to send information immediately to the patient's mobile phone or PDA where it can be stored. Once the patient is close to the computer, they can upload the information to the system for further analysis," Chanchana said.