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J Med Syst (2011) 35:559569 DOI 10.1007/s10916-009-9392-4
ORIGINAL PAPER
Development of a Portable Linux-Based ECG Measurement and Monitoring System
Tan-Hsu Tan & Ching-Su Chang & Yung-Fa Huang &
Yung-Fu Chen & Cheng Lee
Received: 8 September 2009 /Accepted: 15 October 2009 /Published online: 14 November 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009
Abstract This work presents a portable Linux-based electrocardiogram (ECG) signals measurement and monitoring system. The proposed system consists of an ECG front end and an embedded Linux platform (ELP). The ECG front end digitizes 12-lead ECG signals acquired from electrodes and then delivers them to the ELP via a universal serial bus (USB) interface for storage, signal processing, and graphic display. The proposed system can be installed anywhere (e.g., offices, homes, healthcare centers and ambulances) to allow people to self-monitor their health conditions at any time. The proposed system also enables remote diagnosis via Internet. Additionally, the system has a 7-in. interactive TFT-LCD touch screen that enables users to execute various functions, such as scaling a single-lead or multiple-lead ECG waveforms. The effectiveness of the proposed system was verified by using a commercial 12-lead ECG signal simulator and in vivo experiments. In addition to its portability, the proposed system is license-free as Linux, an open-source code, is utilized during software development. The cost-effectiveness of the system significantly enhances its practical application for personal healthcare.
Keywords Portable Linux-based ECG measurement and monitoring system . Twelve-lead ECG signals . Embedded Linux platform . Open-source codes
Introduction
A significant social problem is that most individuals suffer great stress due to working and life pressures. Although the relationship between work-related stress and death remains unclear, it was found that those with considerable work-related stress have a 520% probability higher than those with little work stress in suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) [1]. A number of studies demonstrated a strong correlation between stress and CVDs in Japan, North America and Western Europe [2]. Several studies examined the relationship between psychosocial work-related stress and CVDs [35]. Of these studies, 24 investigated the association between job stress and CVDs for men and six investigated this relationship for women. Most studies demonstrated a strong positive correlation between job stress and CVDs; additionally, psychosocial work stressors were identified as risk...