Upcoming technologies today, allow ECG testing at home or clinic with a device as small as a cable or a mouse attached to a smartphone instead of a large table-top machine.
We are talking about Wireless or battery less device that can even be used on the go. The device works with traditional ECG leads connected on one end and to a smartphone on the other end to record the ECG graph. As compared to a traditional ECG machine, this does away with bulky machine and a computer monitor to view the graph. The small form factor lends itself to easy portability.
- Portability and Ease of Use: For example take Spandan ECG from Sunfox technologies. It weighs only about 14 – 18 grams, making it lightweight and easy to carry. Its compact design allows users to perform ECG tests at home or elsewhere, eliminating the need for hospital or clinic visits to do so.
- No Battery and Internet Requirement: One of the unique aspects of Spandan is that it operates without the need for a battery or internet connection. This feature ensures that users can conduct ECG tests even in remote locations or during power outages, making heart health monitoring truly accessible.
- User-Friendly Interface: The device features a simple interface that enables any smartphone user to conduct ECG tests without much medical training.
- Fast Results: ECG reports are AI/ algorithm-based and automated. The reports are generated within minutes, providing users with instant feedback on their heart health. This is where some of the upcoming devices are making advances based on AI, analytics – essentially processing all relevant data comprehensively in place of a good doctor and raising timely alerts.
Regular Heart health Monitoring – With an accuracy rate of 99.7%, this portable ECG device offers reliable readings on various types of heart abnormalities, including arrhythmias, heart dysfunctions, myocardial infarctions and ischemia. The easy access and quick reliable results provides a simple yet powerful way for preventive and regular cardiac health monitoring between hospital visits.
What is an ECG machine?
Electrocardiography is the process of producing a recording of the electrical activity of the heart, in the form of a graph, using electrodes placed on certain specific spots on the body. This graph is called electrocardiogram.
The standard practice to produce an electrocardiogram is, to place 10 electrodes in the following 10 different positions on the body: 4 Limbs ( Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg and Right Leg) + 6 on the chest on specific locations near the heart. Voltage difference is measured between two of the electrodes or a common virtual electrode, called as the Wilson’s central terminal. Wilson’s central terminal is the average potential measurements between three of the limb electrodes – Right arm, Left arm and Left Leg. These voltage difference measurements are called “Leads”.
A total of 12 ‘leads’ are required to complete the ECG graph. These 12 leads include, 3 limb leads, 3 augmented limb leads and 6 chest leads (also called precordial leads). Often people use the term ‘lead’ for electrodes also and hence cause confusion as to whether there are 10 leads or 12 leads in an ECG machine.
When a patient cardiac activity needs to be monitored for a longer period of time; ECG variants with less number of electrodes are used to help aid mobility – such as with 3-electrodes. As against the 12-leads ECGs, the 3 & 5-electrode ECGs capture less information. The 3-elecrode ECGs -capture only the limb-leads but no anterior view, hence useful for rhythm monitoring. In a 5-electrode ECG all the 6 limb leads and one chest view is also captured. If someone says e.g. 5-channel ECG or 5-leads ECG, they essentially mean 5-electrodes ECG. So, what is a channel?
Channel – The other term commonly used in reference to ECG machine is number of ‘channels’. ECG machines may come as single channel, 3-channel, 6-channel or 12-channel configurations. Each lead measurement done as detailed above is then passed through an ‘amplifier’ channel and recorded. In a single-channel system, each lead is recorded and displayed one at a time.
In a multi-channel system, the ECG has a microprocessor which manages this processing of signals based on the number of channels. The signals are amplified, filtered and sent to a multiplexer. The multiplexer receives all the inputs, reconstructs signals, de-multiplexes and sends the output to display screen or chart recorder. If it is a 3-channel ECG, the microprocessor groups the signals received from the 12-leads, in 4 groups of 3 and processes them. Similarly, in 6-channel it is in two groups and 12-channel device the same 12-leads are processes simultaneously. Hence, higher the number of channels, faster the ECG recording would be. Clearly, ‘channels’ is different from ‘electrodes’ or ‘leads’. ECG as a device is getting smaller in form due to exponential growth in processing capacity while chips size is getting smaller, hence making it easy to make a portable ECG device.
Why should ECG be monitored at home?
Lifestyle diseases are on the rise and regular vitals monitoring has become more important than ever before for early detection. Regular monitoring of BP and sugar at home has become very common today thanks to rise in hypertension and diabetes. Similarly cardiac diseases are quite common but means for basic monitoring at the convenience of home were not available hitherto. Home ECG monitoring is beneficial for early detection and management of heart conditions, which can be particularly important for people with intermittent or infrequent symptoms, or those at risk for cardiac events. An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a quick test to check the heartbeat. It records the electrical signals in the heart. Test results can help diagnose heart attacks and irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias. Home ECG monitors can be an additional tool for monitoring your heart health between doctor visits or as an early warning system for irregularities.
Spandan, AliveCor, Frontier X2, Omron, Agatsa, Tricog, Dr Cardio etc. are the portable ECG or Pocket ECG devices being talked about in the market. The convenience, peace of mind, early detection, and empowerment that come with using portable ECG devices on your own at home is an invaluable benefit unmatched with anything else.
Contact us on +917019759765 or +918971223957 or [email protected]
PrimedeQ is an e-Marketplace for buying, selling, renting, servicing and spares of medical equipment. We offer all types of used / refurbished medical equipment , including maternity equipment, Lab equipment, X-Ray, TMT, ECG, anesthesia machine, ultrasound machines, endoscope and ultrasound probe repair services etc.
https://in.linkedin.com/in/shanthi-mathur-ab07838