Bluetooth-enabled ECG Monitoring System

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of mortality in Malaysia in an era of industrialization, changing lifestyles and dietary habits. The mortality rate reported in government hospitals shows an increase in death due to heart diseases, and this trend is expected to continue into the next decades. Since heart disease is increasingly affecting human lifestyle, rehabilitation and practical devices are being carried out and created in order to reduce the disability from heart diseases. This paper proposed a wireless patient monitoring system which integrates Bluetooth technology. In this paper, a detailed description of constructing a 2-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, transmitting the ECG data acquired from the ECG sensor via the Bluetooth wireless link, and receiving the ECG data at the PC is illustrated. The acquired ECG data is processed, manipulated and constructed as an ECG waveform. Lastly, the ECG waveform is displayed on the personal computer (PC) screen. The results show that implementation of wireless technology in the existing ECG monitoring system eliminates the physical constraints imposed by hard-wired link and allows users to conduct own check up at anytime anywhere.