Design Principles and Evaluation of a Wireless ECG Sensor System

New wireless technologies open up possibilities for the monitoring of vital signs parameters using wearable biomedical sensors. The idea behind the newly developed wireless ECG sensor was to avoid the cabled connection from the ECG sensing electrodes to the corresponding recording device. Not only could this setup keep patient discomfort to a minimum, it could also provide patients with the freedom of mobility and improved quality of life, enabling them to carry out their normal daily activities while under continuous monitoring. Furthermore, increasing mobility could enhance the quality of the data being measured, since patient behaviour might be closer to his/her normal routines, than when using existing technology. A new wireless ECG sensor system has been developed and tested in a clinical trial. A model for measuring patient satisfaction and the definition of a "Sensor Acceptance Index" has been developed, and a survey was conducted as part of the clinical trial. The results of this clinical study were promising with respect to future use as a continuous event recorder for arrhythmia diagnostic purposes.