Ultra-wearable capacitive coupled and common electrode-free ECG monitoring system

Nowadays, transfer of the health care from ambulance to patient´s home needs higher demand on patient´s mobility, comfort and acceptance of the system. Therefore, the goal of this study is to proof the concept of a system which is ultra-wearable, less constraining and more suitable for long term measurements than conventional ECG monitoring systems which use conductive electrolytic gels for low impedance electrical contact with skin. The developed system is based on isolated capacitive coupled electrodes without any galvanic contact to patient´s body and does not require the common right leg electrode. Measurements performed under real conditions show that it is possible to acquire well known ECG waveforms without the common electrode when the patient is sitting and even during walking. Results of the validation process demonstrate that the system performance is comparable to the conventional ECG system while the wearability is increased.