Electrocardiogram Design Using Labview Program

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization report of 2010, 59% of deaths were the result of non-communal conditions. Of which, 29% of deaths were related to cardiovascular complications. approximately 10 million people in a year die resulting from cardiovascular complications[5]. Regardless of how many precautions are taken to prevent heart attacks, the fact remains that it is still the leading cause of death. Most heart attacks could be somewhat maintained if the patient is to receive the needed medical attention in time. However, not everyone knows what a heart attack is like or what to do in case of such an emergency; hence a lot of heart attacks amount to death due to either the patient not being aware or not being able to seek medical attention in sufficient time. The Electrocardiogram (ECG) is an essential diagnostic tool that measure and record the electrical activity of the heart. A wide range of heart conditions can be detected when interpreting the recorded ECG signals. These qualities make the ECG a perfect instrument for patient monitoring and supervision. The commonly used ECG machine used for diagnosis and supervision at present is expensive. This research is a study of the possibility of manufacturing a small sized ECG system capable of sending ECG signal via the serial port to a PC at low cost. It consists of an amplifier, filtering, microcontroller and LABVIEW as a platform for the signal monitoring.