Design and Implementation of a Portable Long-Term Physiological Signal Recorder

This paper describes a design and implementation of a portable physiological signal recorder. The device is designed for measuring electrocardiography, bioimpedance, and user´s activity. The bioimpedance measures the dynamic changes in the impedance, and its main application is monitoring user´s respiration. Activity is measured with three-axis acceleration sensor. During the design, a special attention is paid on the device´s power consumption and the target has been set to a 24-h operating time. Functionality of the implemented measurement device is proven with test measurements, which include, e.g., comparison of measurement signals against reference signals, testing the device operation under vigorous upper body movements, and during a light exercise. In order to verify the device operation during real-life activities, one full day, 24-h long, measurement is carried out. The measurement system is tested with both commercial Ag/AgCl gel-paste electrodes and custom-made textile electrodes. Device is proven to be operational with both electrodes, but textile electrodes are found to be more sensitive for movement artifacts. This paper also gives a small review of other existing portable and wearable physiological measurement devices and discusses some general requirements of these devices.