Vital Ring: a Wearable Wireless Multiple-Lead ECG Sensor Embedded in a Flexible Finger Ring

Case ID: 015-025-Li

Patients at risk of adverse cardiac events can benefit from mobile, on-demand, or real-time monitoring of their heart rhythms. Patient data can help diagnose symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, and more. GW engineers incorporated advanced electrocardiogram (ECG) capabilities into a wearable device to provide portability and ease of use.

Competing devices on the market acquire ECG signals for analysis, but have large electrode size, adhesive gel, less than 2 weeks usability, or are limited to single lead systems with less diagnostic capability.

To tackle these problems, GW researchers devised a wearable ring with a miniature ECG unit, data processor, and dry electrodes. Users activate on-demand data collection by touching the ring to different locations on the body. The ECG signals can be sent wirelessly to a smartphone for display and analysis, or to a remote authorized physician for diagnosis and fast intervention.

The device itself incorporates a patented stretchable, flexible CMOS chip packaging with liquid metal connections. Testing of an initial prototype is underway in the laboratory.

Fig. 1 - Vital Ring on Finger

Fig. 2 - Prototype Vital Rings

Applications:

  • Personal health monitoring
  • Clinical trial population cardiac side effect monitoring
  • Detect cardiac arrhythmias and infarctions

Advantages:

  • Mobile, long-term, on-demand data for physicians and patients
  • Portable and miniature; fits on the finger of the patient
  • No need for adhesive gel and hence is a quicker, cleaner
  • Multiple leads provides higher quality data than other mobile devices

Patent Information:

Title App Type Country Patent No. File Date Issued Date Patent Status
Wearable Wireless Multiple-Lead ECG Sensor Embedded in a Flexible Finger Ring US Utility United States 11,013,462 8/1/2017 5/25/2021 Issued
Wearable Wireless Multiple-Lead ECG Sensor Embedded in a Flexible Finger Ring - Electrocardiogram Sensor Ring US Continuation *United States of America   5/21/2021   Published

For Information, Contact:

Brian Coblitz
Sr. Licensing Manager
George Washington University
coblitz@gwu.edu

Inventors:

Zhenyu Li
Quan Dong
Mona Zaghloul
Keywords: