Acquisition and Transmission of ECG Signals Through Stainless Steel Yarn Embroidered in Shirts

Abstract

A significant percent of all global deaths are caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The diagnostic of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is a clinical practice widely adopted to evaluate the heart condition and identify CVD. For long-term ECG monitoring, a biopotential acquisition system integrated in common clothing is a viable solution for telemedicine. The electrodes and wires play a major role in the comfort and signal quality acquired from the patient. The paper presents a technical solution, where stainless steel yarn was used to create a Lead I Einthoven system consisting of 3 dry electrodes embroidered on a sports shirt. There are novel electrode materials and techniques that push further the state-of-the-art in ECG acquisition, but the authors focused on the currently available materials that are low-cost, widely available and easily integrable into common clothing, in order to seek a simple yet fully functional solution with the potential to become a truly ubiquitous ECG monitoring system.

Keywords

• biomedical electrodes
• biomedical telemetry
• electrocardiography
• telemedicine
• wearable sensors