Necklace for long-term and robust cardiac monitoring in daily life

"IMEC and its research affiliate Holst Centre presented a prototype of an electrocardiogram or ECG necklace at the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Conference (EMBC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). The technology enables long-term monitoring of cardiac performance and allows patients to remain ambulatory and continue their routine daily activities while under observation. The embedded beat detection algorithm copes with the artefacts inherent to ambulatory monitoring systems. The ECG necklace is easy to use and characterized by a low power consumption ensuring 7 days autonomy. It contains IMEC's proprietary ultra-low power analog readout ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), and relies on a low power commercial radio/microprocessor platform. A wavelet-based heart beat detection algorithm is embedded in the processor that ensures the accurate computation of the instantaneous heart rate, even under high level of noise. A second ultra-low power microcontroller unit controls the wireless transmission of the ECG data to a computer within a range of 10m. An optional memory module enables data logging for applications in which the receiving computer is not in the neighborhood"

Ecgskills.net

"Ecgskills.net is an online training resource for all healthcare practitioners involved in conducting and interpreting Electrocardiographs (ECG). Whatever your post or grade, ecgskills.net offers detailed training which is tailored to a wide range of healthcare professionals. Ecgskills.net contains detailed modules taking you step by step through each level of training. Using a mix of 3D animation, audio narrative, images, and detailed text, the product incorporates over 300 traces which can be viewed using the unique TraceZoom facility. Ecgskills.net was developed in collaboration with a team of specialists based at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. All content has been independently verified so you can have confidence in this high quality training resource"

Can your doctor correctly read a critical heart test?

"Correct interpretation of an electrocardiogram may prompt life-saving, emergency measures; incorrect interpretation may delay care with life-threatening consequences. Currently, there is no uniform way to teach doctors in training how to interpret an ECG or assess their competence in the interpretation. To address the lack of uniformity, a team of physicians from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the American College of Cardiology has developed the first Web-based training and examination program for reading ECGs." - EurekAlert