Design and Development Armband Vital Sign Monitor for Health-Care Monitoring

Background: One of the vital organs that require regular check is heart. The representation of heart health can be identified through electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Monitoring the heart condition needs to be regularly done to prevent heart attack that can occur suddenly and very quickly particularly for someone who has had a heart attack before. Nevertheless, it raises the problem of cost, time efficient, and flexibility. It takes a high cost and much time to perform this examination. A vital signal monitoring device is needed with low cost, wearable, accurate, and simple in use.

Methods: This research designs and develops a device and application for monitoring human vital signals including ECG, SpO2, BP, and heart rate. A multi-sensor system with a control unit was applied to the device which was then called the Armband Vital Sign Monitor. This device can be used to measure vital parameters simultaneously using multiplexing techniques programmed in the microcontroller. Armband vital sign monitor is also equipped with Bluetooth module as a communication media for further data processing and display.

Results: Armband vital sign monitor produces >99% accuracy in body temperature measurements, ±2 deviation values in SpO2 measurements, and systolic and diastolic deviations at ±3-8 mmHg. For EGC signals, tests are performed by comparing signals visually in graphical form, and EGC can be obtained properly as shown by the graph.

Conclusion: In this study, an Armband vital sign device has been developed that can measure the body's vital parameters. The parameters which were measured included temperature, heart rate, BP, SpO2, and ECG. This device has small dimensions and can be put on the wrist. The device is also equipped with Bluetooth so monitoring can be conducted wirelessly.