Smart Vest: Wearable multi-parameter remote physiological monitoring system

• Published in: Medical engineering & physics Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 466 - 477
• Main Authors: Pandian, P.S, Mohanavelu, K, Safeer, K.P, Kotresh, T.M, Shakunthala, D.T, Gopal, Parvati, Padaki, V.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2008
• Subjects: Biosensing Techniques; Blood Pressure; Body Temperature; Computer Communication Networks; Data acquisition system; Equipment Design; Global positioning system; Heart Rate; Humans; Monitoring, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Monitoring, Ambulatory - methods; Monitoring, Physiologic - instrumentation; Monitoring, Physiologic - methods; Photoplethysmography; Physiological signals; Radiology; Remote monitoring station; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Telemedicine - instrumentation; Telemedicine - methods; Telemetry; Textiles; Wireless communication; Remote monitoring station; Wireless communication; Data acquisition system; Physiological signals; Global positioning system
• ISSN: 1350-4533; 1873-4030
• DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2007.05.014

Abstract The wearable physiological monitoring system is a washable shirt, which uses an array of sensors connected to a central processing unit with firmware for continuously monitoring physiological signals. The data collected can be correlated to produce an overall picture of the wearer's health. In this paper, we discuss the wearable physiological monitoring system called ‘Smart Vest’. The Smart Vest consists of a comfortable to wear vest with sensors integrated for monitoring physiological parameters, wearable data acquisition and processing hardware and remote monitoring station. The wearable data acquisition system is designed using microcontroller and interfaced with wireless communication and global positioning system (GPS) modules. The physiological signals monitored are electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), body temperature, blood pressure, galvanic skin response (GSR) and heart rate. The acquired physiological signals are sampled at 250 samples/s, digitized at 12-bit resolution and transmitted wireless to a remote physiological monitoring station along with the geo-location of the wearer. The paper describes a prototype Smart Vest system used for remote monitoring of physiological parameters and the clinical validation of the data are also presented.