Development of an Ethernet-based patient remote monitoring device

Abstract

Information can now be transferred more easily and rapidly than in the past because of technological developments. The network or Ethernet platform is one of the safest and fastest methods for receiving and transmitting data across long distances. Vital body signs, such as heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), are examples of important information that may be transmitted via the network between the patient and the medical staff, allowing the medical team to monitor the patient's health status remotely. In this study, a system was designed that records the Electrocardiogram (ECG) and BP, then sends the data through a network connection via a serial to Ethernet converter (WIZNET). An atmega32 microcontroller was used to receive and process data from both analog channels, and the microcontroller also sent digital data to the Ethernet converter via a serial port. In LabVIEW software, an interface was created to display signals. In this way, the ECG and BP are presented online and at regular intervals, respectively. This system's performance was evaluated on 15 healthy persons for 45 minutes. This system may effectively handle the demand for medical staff to remotely access patients' vital signs in hospitals or medical centers. As a result, promoting such systems can effectively reduce treatment time and costs, therefore increasing the treatment process's efficiency.