Russian scientists develop innovative device for diagnosing heart rhythm disorders

Representatives of Omsk State Technical University (OmSTU), a partner of TV BRICS, are working on a new generation Holter monitor. It will collect data and analyse it in real time using special applications on a smartphone.

A standard Holter monitor is a device in the form of a box to which ECG electrodes are connected. It is put on a person's belt and collects information about the heart's work during the day, and later it is transferred to a medical institution. The device is inconvenient to wear, as the electrodes come off and get lost, and the large amount of data that is processed manually by specialists does not allow them to immediately identify the patient's condition.

Polytechnic employees are working on improving the device, in the future it will be able to transmit and analyse ECG data in real time with the help of smartphone applications, it can be done using a bluetooth module. The next step of diagnostics will be to transfer the data to a medical centre, where a specialist will be able to decipher it and make a specific diagnosis with the help of the software.

"During development, we realised that people at risk wear a Holter monitor for at least a day, and then decoding takes about two more days, and during this time the patient may have a life-threatening heart condition. This is how the task of analysing ECGs to detect dangerous human conditions in real time came about. The processor inside the product is not too powerful, so we analyse only one ECG lead between two electrodes", said Dmitry Klypin, senior researcher at the research laboratory "Microprocessor devices" OmSTU.

Also, one of the advantages of the developed model will be the convenience of its use – the electrodes will be attached to a corset, which can be adjusted to the individual constitution of a person.

Since February this year the project has investors, which allowed to start active research and development work. Now the development is at the initial stage – university employees are working out a detailed test task, which implies further work on the components and software of the device. The prototype is expected by the end of 2024.

The target audience of the device is wide: the device is essential for people who have already had a heart attack, patients in rehabilitation, athletes, specialists in demanding professions, whose well-being depends on the lives of other people, for example, dispatchers, pilots.

Photo: IStock