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Association of a Wristband PPG and an ECG Sensor - Analysis, Synchronization and Robustness

Hochart, Mattéo LU (2023) BMEM01 20231
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
Context: The CardioHolter, developed by Kaunas Institute of Technology, Lithuania, has been used in previous studies on cardiovascular behavior at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Lund University. This equipment associates two finger photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors and an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. It is robust and efficient but very bulky.
The CardioHolter equipment is getting outdated and hence, new equipment is needed for future chamber exposure studies.
The equipment should be easy to use for the study nurse and comfortable for the study participants and the acquired data should be of sufficient quality. This is why another solution is explored with this thesis.

Objective: The objective of this project is to... (More)
Context: The CardioHolter, developed by Kaunas Institute of Technology, Lithuania, has been used in previous studies on cardiovascular behavior at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Lund University. This equipment associates two finger photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors and an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. It is robust and efficient but very bulky.
The CardioHolter equipment is getting outdated and hence, new equipment is needed for future chamber exposure studies.
The equipment should be easy to use for the study nurse and comfortable for the study participants and the acquired data should be of sufficient quality. This is why another solution is explored with this thesis.

Objective: The objective of this project is to investigate the feasibility of replacing the CardioHolter by the association of a Wristband PPG sensor (Empatica Embrace Plus Wristband PPG) and an ECG sensor (Bittium Faros 360 ECG) in a future chamber exposure study.

Methodology: The first phase of the project is the data acquisition with the CardioHolter, the Empatica Embrace Plus and the Bittium Faros 360. Then the characteristics of the signals gathered are analyzed and compared in order to know the quality and robustness of each signal.

Conclusion: The signals of the Faros and Empatica devices are robust and of good quality, but one problem remains: the synchronization between both devices. (Less)
Popular Abstract
Heart beat measurement: what characteristics make a device performant?


In this study, signals are analyzed for the comparison of devices measuring heart behavior. We focus on the heart rate and its variability, the blood velocity in the body and the shape of the heart pulses.


Some heart diseases and heart behavior are studied in biomedical engineering. However, it is important for that to have performant, efficient and easily usable devices to acquire the heart signals.

I analyzed signals generated by the heart beat (ECG and PPG) to compare devices measuring it: a first one that has been used by the Biomedical Engineering Department for years, the CardioHolter, and the combination of two other devices, the Empatica and Faros... (More)
Heart beat measurement: what characteristics make a device performant?


In this study, signals are analyzed for the comparison of devices measuring heart behavior. We focus on the heart rate and its variability, the blood velocity in the body and the shape of the heart pulses.


Some heart diseases and heart behavior are studied in biomedical engineering. However, it is important for that to have performant, efficient and easily usable devices to acquire the heart signals.

I analyzed signals generated by the heart beat (ECG and PPG) to compare devices measuring it: a first one that has been used by the Biomedical Engineering Department for years, the CardioHolter, and the combination of two other devices, the Empatica and Faros equipments. ECG stands for electrocardiography, the measurement of the skin electrical activity, and PPG for photoplethysmography, the measurement of blood volume changes using a light source and a detector. For the CardioHolter, the device acquires the heart signals with chest electrodes (ECG) and finger detectors (PPG). For the combination, the Faros device acquires the ECG signals with chest electrodes and the Empatica Acquires PPG signals on the wrist.

This study reveals, with the analysis of the heart rate and the pulse shape, an excellent point: the wristband (Empatica) and chest electrodes (Faros) are both performant. Unfortunately, the blood velocity analysis has as a conclusion the impossibility to synchronize clocks of those two devices contrary to the CardioHolter ECG and PPG. So they can both be used while the characteristics we want to measure and compute do not need any association of those two devices.

This study has been led because of the need to replace the CardioHolter, due to its bulkiness and outdatement, by the combination of the Empatica and the Faros devices that are way lighter and more comfortable to wear.

The department has been stuck with a device that prevents the conduct of certain studies due to its inconvenience of use. The resolution of this need is relevant for the future studies of the department and so, the future knowledge that will be acquired about the heart and blood behavior.

The application of this work will be the possibility of the use of light and easily wearable devices when a study does not require a combination of both devices. This would be very convenient and moreover would allow us to conduct a wider range of experiments, such as long term experiments needing the subjects to wear the wristband for several consecutive days, which was impossible with the device that has been used until now. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hochart, Mattéo LU
supervisor
organization
course
BMEM01 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
language
English
additional info
2023-13
id
9132810
date added to LUP
2023-09-18 09:24:19
date last changed
2023-09-18 09:24:19
@misc{9132810,
  abstract     = {{Context: The CardioHolter, developed by Kaunas Institute of Technology, Lithuania, has been used in previous studies on cardiovascular behavior at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Lund University. This equipment associates two finger photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors and an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. It is robust and efficient but very bulky. 
The CardioHolter equipment is getting outdated and hence, new equipment is needed for future chamber exposure studies.
The equipment should be easy to use for the study nurse and comfortable for the study participants and the acquired data should be of sufficient quality. This is why another solution is explored with this thesis. 

Objective: The objective of this project is to investigate the feasibility of replacing the CardioHolter by the association of a Wristband PPG sensor (Empatica Embrace Plus Wristband PPG) and an ECG sensor (Bittium Faros 360 ECG) in a future chamber exposure study. 

Methodology: The first phase of the project is the data acquisition with the CardioHolter, the Empatica Embrace Plus and the Bittium Faros 360. Then the characteristics of the signals gathered are analyzed and compared in order to know the quality and robustness of each signal.

Conclusion: The signals of the Faros and Empatica devices are robust and of good quality, but one problem remains: the synchronization between both devices.}},
  author       = {{Hochart, Mattéo}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Association of a Wristband PPG and an ECG Sensor - Analysis, Synchronization and Robustness}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}