Smart solar ECG

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for more people dying annually than from any other disease. WHO has said that by 2030 more than 23.3 million people will die annually of CVDs. They have also estimated that over 80% of the world´s deaths from CVDs occur in low and middle income countries. The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study reported the death rate from coronary heart disease (CHD) in India as 1.6 million in the year 2010. A total of nearly 64 million cases of CVD are likely in the year 2015, of which nearly 61 million would be CHD cases. Electrocardiographs detect the electrical signals of the heart activity and produce an ECG, a graphic record of the voltage v/s time. ECG is used to diagnose and assist in treating some types of heart disease and arrhythmia. The ECG machines used in hospitals are extremely bulky and work on line voltage. As 63 percent of rural areas in India have no electricity, they are denied access to the ECG machine. The cost per test is expensive and hence its access is denied to rural areas of India, leading to an increase in the number of deaths. We have developed a low cost, portable, smart, light weight and solar powered ECG capable of acquiring 30–35 hours of continuous ECG data. The device being solar powered eliminates its dependency on electricity and being low cost gives access to the common man. It will also be free from line frequency noise, improving the quality of the signal received. The device is also smart enabling the user to know how much charge is left with the device preventing a shut down during monitoring an ECG. The ECG is also transmitted to a mobile phone or computer using a Bluetooth transmitter. An additional option of charging the batteries with the help of a simple mobile phone charger is also provided.