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
