Title: WeECG: a low-cost real-time wireless ECG for new born monitoring with error concealment

Authors: Djamel F.H. Sadok; Daniele Wanderley Brooman; Andrea Maria Nogueira Cavalcanti Ribeiro; Jacinaldo Balbino de Medeiros Junior; Judith Kelner; José Henrique Silva Moura

Addresses: Centro de Informatica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil ' Centro de Informatica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil ' Centro de Informatica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil ' Centro de Informatica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil ' Centro de Informatica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil ' Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

Abstract: This work designs a low-cost wireless HR monitoring device, WeECG, that also stores the data for subsequent analysis. Additional important design requirements include ease of use, baby comfort, support for mobility while insuring also a high level of signal integrity. We first developed a client server architecture using off-the-shelf components and a smartphone running the Android operating system. During the development of the communication module, we tested and compared two separate communication technologies: a popular ultra-low power wireless transceiver with embedded base-band protocols and a BLE communication module. WeECG presented a smaller measurement error when compared with the palpation method and a standard deviation of 0.4069 BPM when the peak interval algorithm was applied. We also examined packet loss and developed strategies to mitigate its effect, making it possible to safely transmit ECG signals. Finally, we also analyse the solution in terms of cost, size and energy consumption.

Keywords: ECG; wireless electrocardiogram; heart rate monitor; internet of things; medical devices; packet loss.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAHUC.2023.128500

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, 2023 Vol.42 No.2, pp.83 - 94

Received: 05 May 2021
Received in revised form: 10 Jun 2022
Accepted: 03 Aug 2022
Published online: 24 Jan 2023 *

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