Towards Development of a Low Cost and Portable ECG Monitoring System for Rural/Remote Areas of Bangladesh

Abstract

An electrocardiogram (ECG) machine is a device that checks the patient's heart rhythm and electrical activity. This is done by attaching sensors on the skin of the patients. But the problem with these machines is that these are expensive and not portable. Thus it is difficult to use these machines in the rural or remote areas of developing countries like Bangladesh where the issue of portability and cost arises. In this paper, the problem of cost and portability is addressed. We propose a complete solution for a low-cost portable ECG monitoring from recording to report generation for patients including real-time ECG traces on screen with storage options and calculation of all necessary diagnostics parameters for helping the doctors to make a decision. This type of ECG machines could be used in hospitals, homes, villages or even in a disaster area. The system designed in this paper includes a PC/Laptop, as these devices are now widely available, at least available at hospitals and healthcare centers, even in rural/remote areas of Bangladesh. With this, a significant difference can be made against heart diseases.