Low cost indigenous development of Pre Heart Failure Detection and Smart Health Monitoring Device

Project Title

Low cost indigenous development of Pre Heart Failure Detection and Smart Health Monitoring Device

Project Area of Specialization Wearables and ImplantableProject Summary

Heart diseases are the leading cause of deaths in Pakistan. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data (published in 2018), cardiac failures and other heart ailments are resulting in 46 deaths with every passing hour. Under such an alarming situation, timely detection of abnormalities in the cardiac system (leading towards heart-failure) can provide sufficient time for treatment and can save millions of precious lives.

This project aims at providing an accurate, IoT enabled non-invasive and wearable solution (consisting of bio-sensors, controller, GSM/Wi-Fi modules and mobile application) for pre-detection of heart-failure. Our smart system will continuously (24/7) monitor the vital signs (like heart rate, Electrocardiography, body temperature, and blood oxygen level, etc.) of patients at risk. After acquiring the data through sensors, the proposed system will run the rigorous algorithms to identify the abnormalities in any of the aforementioned vital signs. In case of any undesired condition, patients and his/her guardians will be alarmed immediately, and precautionary measurement will be advised to them via SMS and notifications.

Though such a system can be utilized within hospitals to assist doctors and medical staff, the primary target is to develop an easy-to-use and cost-effective method for remote monitoring of patients at home. Such remote monitoring, based upon modern communication and information technologies can offer an efficient and cost-effective solution for patients to continue to live in their comfortable home environment instead of expensive healthcare facilities in hospitals. This system will also allow healthcare personnel to monitor critical signs of their patients in real time, assess health conditions and provide assistance and feedback to them from distant facilities.

After developing the initial prototype and maturing it, the next step includes its pre-clinical testing on real patients and making it available as a compact device after proper packaging. The further extension of the project consists of the development of algorithms (based upon the available data) for pre-detection heart-attack. Such smart system can be further enhanced for other patients like asthma, hypoxemia, sleep apnea and tachycardia etc., which require monitoring of aforementioned vital signs.

Project Objectives

The objectives of the project are

1. Developing an IoT enabled non-invasive and wearable smart system for pre-detection of heart-failure.
2. Monitor the vital signs like heart rate, Electrocardiography, body temperature, and blood oxygen level, etc. of patients at risk.
3. Storage and processing of sensor’s data from multiple patients at the central server.
4. The development of algorithms for analysis of sensors’ data to identify the abnormalities of heart’s functioning.
5. Development of alarm and notification system through mobile application, GSM and Wi-Fi.
6. Pre-clinical testing on real patients and making it available as an easy-to-adopt, accurate, and cost-effective compact device after proper packaging.

Project Implementation Method

Technical implementation of this project is divided into four phases;

1. Hardware Design (consisting of biosensors, Wi-Fi enabled controller and LCD, etc.).
2. Algorithm Implementation (for the extraction and analysis of useful information from the data acquired from the selected biosensors)
3. Software-enabled IoT solution
4. Testing and Packaging

Hardware Design (consisting of biosensors and Wi-Fi enabled controller and LCD, etc.): In the first phase of the design, a wearable prototype will be designed, developed and matured in which various biosensors (to measure vital signs like body temperature, heart rate, oxygen level concentration in blood, ECG, etc.) will be integrated with a microcontroller to continuously acquire the patient data as depicted in Figure 1. Meanwhile, the selection of appropriate biosensors, their accuracy, reliability, and placement will be finalized through repetitive testing. The system will also be enabled with charging circuitry to drive the embedded rechargeable battery and with the LCD for the real-time display of the processed data.  

                                                                  Figure 1

Algorithm Implementation (for the extraction and analysis of useful information from the data acquired from the selected biosensors): In this second phase of the project, rigorous computational algorithms will be implemented to carefully process and analyze the raw data obtained from the sensors. The purpose will be to minimize the noise and extract useful information to identify the abnormalities for pre-heart failure detection. An alarm and notification system will be set in case of the stipulation from lower or upper threshold values of the vital parameters. Figure 2 shows output results from all the sensors integrated with the smart wearable device.

                                                                                         Figure 2

Software-enabled IoT solution: In the third phase of implementation, all the data from sensors is transmitted to the online server over Wi-Fi through Wi-Fi module, where data from multiple patients can be stored and analyzed. To access the data remotely, a mobile App will also be developed. All the raw and processed data, stored on the server, will be accessible to the corresponding patients and their medical staff via smart wearable Wi-Fi enabled devices. Figure 3 shows communication between a wearable device with an online server which is further accessed by Smart devices through Wi-Fi.

                                                                                      Figure 3

Testing and Packaging: Finally, pre-clinical testing and proper packaging of the device will be done to make it available as a compact on-chip solution.

It is worth noting that we have done preliminary work on prototyping successfully and the availability of more funs will significantly enhance our chances of turning it into a real workable device.  

Benefits of the Project

Benefits of this device are as follows:

1. This non-invasive wearable device will provide a unique, easy-to-use, simply adaptable and cost-effective solution for pre-detection of cardiac failure, which can save millions of precious lives.
2. This IoT enabled smart system will be useful for both in-house (admitted in hospitals) and out-door patients.
3. Alarming and notification system will keep updating the doctors, guardians, and patient himself/herself persistently to take effective and timely measures in case of an emergency.
4. Data from multiple patients can be treated and analyzed concomitantly.
5. Medical record of the patients can be stored online which eliminates the need for maintaining the manual record of every patient.
6. Such a smart system can be remarkably an alternative solution for undersupply of paramedical staff in the hospitals of Pakistan.
7. Data can be easily accessed through Wi-Fi enabled smart devices. Even guardians of the patients can access the medical record of their patient using their cell phones.
8. Cost efficient distinction of this device also ensures its access to ordinary home users for efficient measuring of vital signs to maintain their health standards.
9. These devices can also be used by outdoor patients whose medical record is subjected to be measured and analyzed by their physician by some specific period of time while they are out of the hospital and working in their offices or staying at homes.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Hardware Design:

Sensors selection:

We will use DS18B20 temperature sensor which can be used as 1-Wire interface which requires only one port pin for communication purposes as well as powering the device up due to built-in capacitor circuitry which uses data bits to charge the capacitor. Such a power efficient sensor is the best choice to use in wearable devices. The table below includes some other sensors available in the market.

Manufacturer	Part Type	Input voltage (V)	Accuracy	Price (USD)
Texas Instruments	LM35	4 to 30	0.5?C	35 Rs.
Dallas	DS18B20	3 to 5.5	0.5?C	175 Rs.
Analog Devices	TMP37	2.7 to 5.5	1?C to 2?C	0.10

We will use MAX30100 heart rate sensor that operates at a lower voltage range of 1.8V to 3.3V. It’s very power efficient and reliable. This optical sensor uses IR light to measure the heart rate of a person depending on the rate of light absorption into the blood.

Manufacturer	Part Type	Input voltage (V)	Price (USD)
Maxim Integrated	MAX30102	1.8 to 3.3	2.68
Maxim Integrated	MAX30100	1.8 to 3.3	2.65
Joy-iT	KY-039	5	1.75

AD8232 found to be very efficient for measuring ECG of a patient. It provides uncommitted operational amplifiers for additional gain and its instrumentation amplifier for noise elimination is highly efficient.

Manufacturer	Part Type	Supply voltage (V)	Price (USD)
Analog Devices	AD8232	2.0 to 3.5	8 to 15
Analog Devices	AD8233	1.6 to 3.6	-
Texas Instruments	ADS1293	1.65 to 3.6	20

Embedded Battery:

An embedded battery is used to operate the whole circuit for the wireless setup. Additional circuitry for charging the battery is also included in the final prototype of the device. Small sized high power Li-Ion battery is required to use in wearable smart device to make it compact.

Data Communication Through Wi-Fi:

We will initially test all the sensors on Arduino. Then we will shift the whole system to ESP32 for using its built-in Wi-Fi shield for communication with online Cayenne’s server. It’s an online database which provides a built-in interface of server on mydevices.com.

Algorithm Implementation:

Afterward, we are planning to switch to Raspberry Pi which has built-in storage that we need to implement different algorithms on ECG pattern to make it noise free and to detect heart attack symptoms from it. Alarming checks will also be set for notification of exceeding values of vital signs from the set threshold.

App Development:

To access the data remotely from an online server, an App is also subjected to be developed. So, the device can be made easy to use and easily adaptable. It will give instant access to the vital signs of the patient at any time anywhere.

Manufacturer

Texas Instruments

Dallas

Analog Devices

Manufacturer

Maxim Integrated

Maxim Integrated

Joy-iT

Manufacturer

Analog Devices

Analog Devices

Texas Instruments

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemType of Industry Medical , Health Technologies Internet of Things (IoT), Wearables and ImplantablesSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for PeopleRequired Resources

Manufacturer	Part Type	Input voltage (V)	Price (USD)
Maxim Integrated	MAX30102	1.8 to 3.3	2.68
Maxim Integrated	MAX30100	1.8 to 3.3	2.65
Joy-iT	KY-039	5	1.75