Bluetooth(TM) Handheld ECG Monitor

Connecting to people, ideas, and things in a wireless way has become routine (and expected) in the last few decades. The awe of using a cell phone has passed, the tangle of wires linking computer peripherals has become an annoyance, and moving to change a TV channel is unheard of. Shedding wires has become commonplace. Now, wireless applications are being created for the medical industry, increasing the efficiency of medical personnel by keeping track of vital patient information. Thus far, the wireless emphasis has been focused on record keeping and billing practices rather than the mobility of a patient while monitoring physiological signals. The need for accurate, portable, and less intrusive monitoring devices, however, continues to grow. The purpose of this study is to create a wireless handheld electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor using Bluetooth™ wireless technology to reliably connect patient physiological signals and computer-based signal processing software. First, signal conditioning circuitry is designed to amplify, filter, and modulate a continuous time ECG (Lead I) signal. This signal is then routed to a connected BluetoothTM unit that packages and further modulates the signal. Next, using spread spectrum techniques, the Bluetooth™ radio transmits the packaged ECG data to a second Bluetooth™ receiver module that is part of a remote processing station located up to 9 meters away. The information extracted from the receiving Bluetooth™ audio port is demodulated, amplified, and then fed into a Lab VIEW™ data acquisition card connected to a PC or laptop. Finally, a Lab VIEW™ program accepts the ECG data, analyzes and displays it in graphical form on the computer screen, and saves it to a spreadsheet for future analysis