Development of an unconstrained real-time heart rate monitoring device for home health care

Abstract

Increasingly, patients that are well enough to be cared for in a home situation need, or expect, to be monitored. The health of these patients is generally monitored by family or through regular visits by a care worker. This becomes a costly and time-consuming situation, not to mention dangerous if an emergency occurs and no one is around to help. Home care scenarios are just one in which the availability of an accurate, long term, wearable health monitoring device would be beneficial. Even within hospitals or for elderly patients, a wearable device would allow doctors to monitor patients and get warnings before a medical emergency escalates, preventing the worst-case scenarios from occurring.