A System for In-Ear Pulse Wave Measurements

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel in-ear measurement system capable of capturing pulse wave signals, ECG, PPG, ear pressure, temperature, and motion, enabling comprehensive cardiovascular monitoring in a compact, wireless device.

Contribution

The work presents a new portable in-ear measurement device integrating multiple sensors and wireless data transmission for pulse wave analysis, which is a novel approach compared to traditional extremity-based methods.

Findings

First measurements demonstrate system functionality

Device operates up to 8 hours on battery

Simultaneous multi-sensor data acquisition

Abstract

The measurement of the pulse wave has proven to be a vital tool in medical diagnosis. Whereby most pulse wave measurements are carried out at extremities, this work proposes a system for measuring the pulse wave and the Pulse Arrival Time (PAT) in the interior of the ear. The developed measurement device is based on a battery powered microcontroller system. The measurement device can simultaneously acquire a single channel Electrocardiogram (ECG), a dual wavelengths Photoplethysmogram (PPG), the pressure in both ears, the body core temperature, as well the subjects motion. The acquired measurement data can either be saved on a micro SD-card or can be transmitted wireless via Bluetooth or wired via USB to a host PC for further analysis. In Bluetooth communication mode the device can operate battery powered up to 8 hours. In addition to the system description, first measurements carried out with the system will be presented.