ウェアラブル心臓モニターはより良いヘルスケアのための全ての条件を満たす(Wearable heart monitor ticks all the boxes for better healthcare: study)

2023-11-01

2023-11-01 ロイヤルメルボルン工科大学(RMIT)

◆RMIT大学の研究チームが開発したECGデバイスは、心血管疾患を持つ人々の心臓発作を予防するために使用できる軽量なウェアラブルデバイスです。
◆このデバイスは10グラムしか重させず、心臓発作の警告を発信し、連続モニタリングがなくても心臓の活動を追跡できます。通常のECGモニターと比べて非常にコンパクトで、ドライ電極を使用しており、快適で耐久性があり、水中での使用も可能です。研究チームは国際特許出願を行い、商用化とライセンスの可能性を検討しています。
◆デバイスのデザインは、肌の曲線に合わせてECG信号を正確に捉えるための六角形が採用されており、高感度のドライ電極を使用しています。このデバイスは、特に高齢者向けに有望で、心臓発作の早期予防に貢献する可能性があります。

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ウェアラブルECGデバイスのためのドライ電極形状の最適化
Dry electrode geometry optimization for wearable ECG devices

Peter Francis Mathew Elango,Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan,Md Rokunuzzaman Robel,Sherly Pushpam Elango,Sumeet Walia,Sharath Sriram,Madhu Bhaskaran
AIP Applied Physics Reviews Published:October 31 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0152554

Wearable electronic devices, particularly for health monitoring, have seen rapid advancements in recent times. Among the various biophysical parameters that are of interest in a wearable device, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is critical as it enables detection of cardiovascular-related ailments and assessment of overall cardiac health. In a wearable ECG device, the choice of electrode design and material plays a key role in the performance of the sensor. In this work, we have explored various dry electrode-based sensor design geometries to realize a compact, lightweight, portable, gel-free wearable ECG patch that would aid in point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics. Furthermore, we have studied the influence of the region of the body at which the measurements were made under different body positions across varying external stimuli. We have studied the influence of surface area, perimeter and resistance offered by the electrodes on the ECG signal acquisition, its effects on device performance and found the hexagonal labyrinth configuration to be the most suitable candidate. A prototype of a wearable ECG patch was made by combining this electrode configuration and interfacing with wireless communication capabilities, and the results were compared with a commercially available portable ECG monitor. Such a device could find potential application in remote healthcare and ambulatory care settings, and as a PoC and a preventive medical device.