Date of Graduation

12-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Electrical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Vijay K. Varadan

Committee Member

Simon Ang

Second Committee Member

Roy McCann

Abstract

Recent advances in embedded electronics have a remarkable influence on the health care system. One of the most important applications is to monitor the health care of the patients at anytime and anyplace. In the last two decades, many researchers have focused mainly on heart rate variability (HRV) measurements. Patient's heart rate variability should be continuously monitored to help them in case of emergency. Under these circumstances, patients are required to have a HRV measuring kit for a constant observation.

The proposed project focuses on the development of a heart rate variability measurement system with the use of embedded electronics. This project consists of two systems: transmitter and a receiver side system. The transmitter section composed of sensor, amplifier, processing unit, and display unit, and transmitter module. The sensors, which are pasted on the body, are used to sense the electrical activity of the heart. These electric signals are given to an amplification unit. This amplification unit is designed with IC ADS1293 to amplify and filter the signals, and also reduce the noise. The output of the amplifier is given to the processing unit. Here, the microcontroller is programmed to process the input signal, and calculate the heart rate. The output of the microcontroller is transmitted to the display unit. The display unit shows the current value of the heart rate. The continuous measurement of heart rate variability is done in the transmitter side system. In case of abnormalities, a GSM module is used to transmit the heart rate alert, which has been processed by the control unit, to the user's mobile phone and GSM receiver modem. In the receiver system, GSM receiver modem receives the data and processed with Visual Basic program to display, and, in the mobile phone, data is received and displayed as a text message.

This kind of health monitoring system can offer flexibility and cost saving options to both health care professionals and patients.

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