Wireless 3-lead ECG system with on-board digital signal processing for ambulatory monitoring

Ambulatory monitoring of cardiac signals is an important diagnostic method for the detection and analysis of cardiac arrhythmia. Key technical challenges are overcoming motion artifacts, achieving low power consumption, and creating a low cost, low maintenance system. A wireless ECG monitoring system that is able to perform good quality ECG signal acquisition as well as subsequent digital signal processing for motion artifact reduction is presented. An ultra-low power integrated circuit performs acquisition of three ECG leads and electrode-tissue impedance for one lead. Also integrated is imec´s CoolBio Digital Signal Processor, which is capable of performing Independent Component Analysis algorithm as well as Adaptive Filtering using electrode-tissue impedance impedance. Both algorithms, which are used for motion artifact reduction, result in a system power consumption of approximately 7.6mW. The novel contribution is the integration of a low power DSP into a wearable ECG platform, which includes lessons learnt on interfacing between low power components to reduce system power consumption.