ECGalert: A Heart Attack Alerting System

Abstract

This article presents a system for early detection and alerting of the onset of a heart attack. The system consists of a wireless and mobile ECG biosensor, a data center, smartphone and web applications, and a remote 24h health care. The scientific basis of this system is founded on the fact that a heart attack can be detected at least two hours before its onset, and that a timely medical attention can dramatically reduce the risk of death or serious tissue damage. So far, there are no commercial products matching the goals and functionalities proposed by this system, even though there are a number of proof-of-concept studies, and a number of similar products on the market. For the greater part, these currently offered solutions are specifically intended for conducting stress tests in modern hospitals, or as personal fitness devices. Most of them have limited battery power, do not use algorithms for heart attack detection, and/or require constant supervision by medical personnel.