Heart rate detection through bone-conduction headset

This paper presents a heart rate detection technique using a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone (ZTS6011) produced by ZillTek Technology Corporation and a dynamic detection algorithm. The MEMS microphone can be stuck on the temple to detect the beating of the artery, and the pulse of blood transmission can be acquired by the developed sensing module, which includes preamplifiers and analog filters. The presented module has been implemented in a printed circuit board (PCB) with discrete components. The measured results show that the heart rate can be clearly detected in the steady state, and interference caused by motion artifact is distinguished. A dynamic detection algorithm is adopted to determine the various signals and extract the heart rate signal. Results reveal that the presented module may be minimized using integrated circuits, and digital processing is necessary to reduce interference caused by the motion artifact.