Monitoring Health Issues Using Embedded Systems
Boselin Prabhu, M. D. Pradeep, E. Gajendran · SSRN Electronic Journal · 2017
Continuous health monitoring with wearable or clothing-embedded transducers and implantable body sensor networks will increase detection of emergency conditions in at risk patients. Not only the patient, but also their families will benefit from these. Also, these systems provide useful methods to remotely acquire and monitor the physiological signals without the need of interruption of the patient’s normal life, thus improving life quality. This paper describes the development of a heart rate monitor system based on a microcontroller using fingertip sensor. The paper explains how a single-chip microcontroller can be used to analyze heart beat rate signals in real-time. The hardware and software design are oriented towards a single-chip microcontroller-based system, hence minimizing the size. Heart rate of the subject is measured from the finger using optical sensors and the rate is then averaged and displayed on a text based LCD. It allows patients to measure their own vital signs, such as heart rate and temperature, and provide the health care professionals with the facility to remotely monitor the patient's vital signs quickly and easily. The gadget would then activate a GSM modem (SIM based) and also a GPS (global positioning system). An onscreen display will start scrolling the person’s name, address and contact details so that people who try to help such a person get the complete information from the device.