Mixed signal technology for health monitoring

Mixed signal technology for health monitoring

In the field of medicine, the monitoring of one’s health is at the centre of the practice, but often it is not possible outside of specialized structures like clinics or hospitals. This may cause at best a limited outlook on the condition of the given patient as it is missing much important information regarding Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

The Optoelectronics laboratory is currently developing an advanced distributed system, consisting of wearable sensors and actuators, aimed at monitoring and supporting individuals in various functions during their journey through the healthcare apparatus. The system integrates multiple subsystems, each equipped with onboard intelligence.  More precisely, it includes cardiac activity monitoring (i.e. ECG, heart rate variability, and respiration), neurological monitoring (i.e. EEG and stress assessment through wearable headgear), and posture and gait analysis using a smart insole and a wearable real-time electrogoniometry system. All the integrated data enables for real-time monitoring and provides a comprehensive overview of the user’s physiological state. The system also comprehends an actuation part consisting of an electrical stimulation system for atrophy counteraction during rehabilitation or telemedical approaches.

Such a cutting-edge system may also find place in extreme environments like space, where the health condition of astronauts is of the utmost importance and is menaced by key stressors such as microgravity and ionizing radiation.

References

[1] M. Pellegrini, G. Coviello, G. Brunetti, F. Angelini, F. A. Gentile and C. Ciminelli, “Low-Cost Limb Flexion Assessment: Integrating Muscle Stimulation and Electrogoniometry in Rehabilitation,” 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurements and Applications (MeMeA 2024), Eindhoven, Netherlands, pp. 1-5, Jul. 2024. doi: 10.1109/MeMeA60663.2024.10596793. link: https://doi.org/10.1109/MeMeA60663.2024.10596793