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An exploration of behind-the-ear ECG signals from a single ear using inkjet printed conformal tattoo electrodes

Jacob, K.J., Balaban, E., Saunders, R., Batchelor, John C., Yeates, Stephen, Casson, A.J. (2018) An exploration of behind-the-ear ECG signals from a single ear using inkjet printed conformal tattoo electrodes. In: 2018 40th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). . pp. 1283-1286. IEEE (doi:10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512538) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:70663)

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Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512538

Abstract

Wearable sensors placed behind-the-ear are emerging as being very promising for unobtrusive long term monitoring. Factors such as gait, electroencephalography (EEG), and ballistocardiography (BCG) can all be measured from behind-the-ear in a socially acceptable hearing aid based

form factor. Previous works have investigated the recording of electrocardiography (ECG) from the ear, but generally with one electrode placed some distance away from the ear itself. This paper uses recently introduced tattoo electrodes to investigate whether ECG components can indeed be measured from behind a single ear. Compared to a reference photophelsmography (PPG) device we show that the fundamental heart beat frequency is present in behind-the-ear ECG only in half of the cases considered. In contrast the second harmonic is present in all records and could allow the extraction of heart rate to within a few beats-per-minute accuracy. Further signal processing work is required to allow the automated extraction of this, particularly when working with short time windows of data, but our results characterize the signal and demonstrate the principle of behind-the-ear ECG collected from a single ear.

Item Type: Conference or workshop item (Proceeding)
DOI/Identification number: 10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512538
Projects: Passively Powered Non-Invasive Human Body Sensing on Bio- Degradable Conformal Substrates
Uncontrolled keywords: Epidermal electronics, tattoo electronics, ECG
Subjects: T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering > TK7800 Electronics > TK7880 Applications of electronics > TK7882.B56 Biometric identification
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Engineering and Digital Arts
Funders: [37325] UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User: John Batchelor
Date Deposited: 06 Dec 2018 10:16 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 19:09 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/70663 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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