Obtaining energy expenditure and physical activity from acceleration signals for context-aware evaluation of cardiovascular parameters

Abstract

This work presents the design and development of an online daily-life activity measurement system. This system has been conceptualized to be used along with other vital parameter sensor-systems, e.g. blood-pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG), to provide the necessary context information for the evaluation of the health status of cardiovascular risk patients who are not hospitalized, but must be permanently monitored during their daily routines. The activity and energy expenditure are captured and estimated from accelerometers, which are placed on different points of the body. The activity, the ECG and the blood pressure are sent to a base station (smart phone or a PDA) and from there to a data base, to which the physicians have access. Thus it is possible to continuously analyze the vital data of a cardiovascular patient taking into consideration the activity or physical strain. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.