Design of a Wearable Wireless Electrocardiograph (Quick Doc)

Abstract

<p>In most modern clinics patient wait times are continuously increasing due to a shortage of physicians. Quick Doc is a device that integrates an ECG, Pulse Oximeter and a Blood Pressure monitor to gather the three main components of a medical exam. By providing this information in a faster more efficient manner the Quick Doc device aims to assist a physician in acquiring an accurate diagnosis sooner thereby reducing patient wait times. The Wearable Wireless Electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the three components integrated into the Quick Doc device. The Wearable Wireless Electrocardiogram (ECG) aims to measure the cardiac rhythm and rate of a patient. It ensures that the QRS complex is intact for the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias. The ECG system is used to detect Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) in a case study. Design considerations that need to be taken into account when designing an ECG are discussed including special requirements for PCBs in medical applications. The ECG system involves two silver electrodes attached to the wrist of the patient from which the electrical activity of the heart is acquired, amplified, filtered and sent wirelessly to a base station for post processing. The main thrust of this project is on the acquisition of the ECG signal. The design of +/-5V dual power supply from a single 9V battery is discussed.</p>