Advances in Electrical and Computer Engineering (May 2020)

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

  • MUNTEANU, R. A.,
  • BANULEASA, S.,
  • RUSU, A.,
  • BUTACU, D.-G.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4316/AECE.2020.02009
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 2
pp. 73 – 78

Abstract

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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.

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