Wearable cardiac detector

Abstract

India has the highest incidence of heart-related diseases in the world. The early detection of various heart conditions can be a significant aid for immediate medical intervention. In rural communities, access to healthcare facilities is limited, and early detection of diseases is difficult. For the aged in urban areas, it is desirable to have portable devices to monitor and diagnose such diseases. Here, we propose the development of a wearable cardiac detector (WCD) which is designed to detect four kinds of arrhythmia—ventricular tachycardia, ventricular bradycardia, myocardial infarction, and hypertrophy. The detection includes a signal processing system based on Pan–Tompkins algorithm which detects the QRS complexes of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, as well as standard methods to filter noise present in the ECG signals. The proposed WCD is portable, cheap, and lightweight unlike the widely used Holter monitor which is bulky, expensive, and cannot be worn all the time. It is specially designed for patients who have had a surgery and are at potential risk of relapse. It allows heart risk patients not to be restricted to the hospital. The device sends alarm messages about the location of the patient and stores the ECG signal data for further analysis. The proposed WCD is part of a long-term initiative to enhance the medical facilities to people from all walks of life and hopeful to be beneficial to the society. The effort is a joint collaboration along with the Community Medicine and Cardiac Specialty departments of MS Ramaiah Medical College.