Development of a mobile multimodal biosignal instrument for simultaneous measurement and analysis of four clinically relevant biosignals, obtained from both normal and pathological subjects

Abstract

Biomedical electronic applications, derived from biosignals, such as cortical mapping, seizure detection, conduction defects, diagnosis of ischemia, arrhythmia, neuromuscular problems, prosthesis and sleep studies, have received attention recently in clinical health practices. However, biosignals are of low frequencies and small amplitudes, with interference from environmental sources as a major challenge. Instrumentations for measurement and monitoring of these biosignals are in very limited supply, if not mostly unavailable, even in hospitals designed for modern health care in Nigeria. The existing ones in most clinical laboratories can only measure parameters for one type of biosignals; and they are quite expensive, due to the cost of construction and maintenance of the laboratories as well as payment of laboratory personnel. Another limitation is non-availability of wireless transmission of biosignal data from the laboratories directly to the medical experts expected to make medical decisions and diagnoses based on the outcome of the tests carried out. World Health Organization confirmed that each year a figure which represents 30 percent of the global cause of death, approximately estimated as 18 million people around the world died of cardiovascular and other related diseases in year 2017.1 Therefore, an instrument that accommodates multimodal signal evaluation and operates with sensor network wirelessly needs to be designed and made readily available to hospitals. Patients’ health can then be monitored outside clinical environment such as offices and homes, if individuals or organizations have access to biosignal device that allows self monitoring. The wireless transmission will be expedient in the biosignal facility to enhance patient’s mobility and transfer of real time clinical data, thus limiting patients’ wheeling to and from the laboratories and related testing locations. Methodology