Design of A Wearble Holter for Early Detection of Arrhythmia

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a cause of death globally, impacting over 17 million people annually. Among the complications associated with CVDs, arrhythmias, which refer to irregular heart rhythms that can manifest as the heart beating too fast, too slow or erratically. These irregularities can lead to life-threatening events such as stroke or sudden cardiac death if not promptly identified and addressed. Early detection of arrhythmia is critical, but current diagnostic tools like Electrocardiograms and Holter monitors are limited in terms of accessibility, short monitoring durations, and lack of real-time data transmission. While wearable devices offer continuous, real-time monitoring for early detection of arrhythmia, they are often scarce and expensive in low-resource settings like Ghana, where patients frequently make multiple hospital visits for heart monitoring. To address these challenges, this study aims to develop a cost-effective wearable Holter monitor. The proposed system was developed through three phases: design, software integration and testing. ECG signals are continuously captured using disposable electrodes, processed via a microcontroller, and transmitted onto a mobile application for real-time visualization, alerts and storage. The wearable Holter monitor was evaluated using an ECG patient, and it demonstrated an average heart rate of 79.8 bpm with a mean deviation of ±0.4 bpm indicating precision at significant levels. Additionally, the device effectively detected both normal and abnormal heart rhythms across a variety of conditions. The lightweight and unobtrusive design improves patient comfort, making it suitable for extended use. By improving accessibility and comfort, this wearable Holter monitor has the potential to significantly enhance arrhythmia detection and patient care, particularly in resource-limited settings.