DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF PATIENT HEARTBEAT AND TEMPERATURE MONITOR

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

Heart beat rate means the number of heartbeats per unit time, usually expressed as beats per minute bpm. The human heart pounds to pump oxygen rich blood to the muscles and carry cell waste products away from the tissues. Heartbeat rate can vary according to the demand of the muscles to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes such as during exercise or sleep. It also varies significantly between individuals based on age, fitness and genetics. This means that the heart must beat faster to deliver more oxygen rich blood. During exercise routines, the heartbeat rate gives a strong indication of how effective the exercise is to the body.

The patient monitoring systems is one of the major improvements in the global health care program because of its advanced technology. A patient monitoring system measures the heartbeat and body temperature by using embedded technology. This advancement in technology is highly needed because many sick patients at the hospitals die because of high fever and heart attacks. The trend of cardiovascular disease has shown that heart beat rate plays a key role in determining the possibility of a heart attack while an increase in the body temperature can induce fever on a patient.

Another vital thing to monitor in a patient is the heartbeat rate. It is very important that the heartbeat is to be normal. That is 72 BPM. If there is any abnormality, then the patient is in distress. Heartbeat rate means the number of heartbeats per unit of time. The normal heartbeat rate of a resting person is about 70 bpm for adult males and 75 bpm for adult females. The average heartbeat per minute for 25year old ranges between 140170 beats per minute while for a 60year old it is typically between 115140 beats per minute and body temperature is 37 degree Celsius or 98.6 Fahrenheit. . Normally it is difficult to keep track of the abnormalities in the heartbeat count of by manual means. Patients are not well versed with the manual treatments, which the doctors normally use for tracking the count of the heartbeat. Thus, there must be some kind of device which would help patients and their family member to keep track of their health by themselves. This sole reason is why this project presents a heartbeat and temperature monitoring device using radio frequency RF.. The concept of developing an RF. based patient monitoring device is to have a simple home and hospital based pulse and body temperature monitoring device for sick persons that are in critical condition and needs to be constantly or periodically monitored by clinician or family.

1.2 WHAT IS A PATIENT HEARTBEAT AND TEMPERATURE MONITOR USING RF.

A patient heartbeat and temperature monitor using RF. is a radio frequency based pulse wave and body temperature monitoring system, which allows the control of a sick persons condition in real time. The system monitors the heart beat and temperature of a patient simultaneously and if the patients heartbeat rate or body temperature is abnormal, the system alerts sends an alert to the doctor or patients family members to quickly examine or diagnose the patients condition and take early precaution to save the patients life. The alerts sound can be triggered at any time as long as there is a deviation in the health condition of the patient from the normal, such that the status of the patient can be known on time. The system consists of a sensor, which monitors the patient and sends a signal to a microcontroller, which processes it to determine the temperature and heartbeat rate of the patient before sending an alert to a receiver using radio frequency. The receiver has to be in the possession of the patients doctor or family members. This project can also be used by athletes who engage in physical exercise and by medical professionals. Individuals, such as athletes, cyclists or those who are interested in monitoring their heartbeat rate and body temperature to gain maximum efficiency from their training can also use this project. It can be used during physical exercise and healthcare.

1.3 PROBLEM DEFINITION

The human health is one of the most important concerns in the world today. Anything/everything becomes meaningless when one becomes sick and dies due to improper Medicare. For health reasons, people, governments and several voluntary bodies spend a lot of money to ensure a better health condition for themselves and the entire populace. Scientists and Engineers are always at work to device a means of supporting/sustaining a sound health condition for all through the invention of numerous technologies both Electrical/Mechanical gadgets that are in use for health care delivery today. The heart is a very delicate organ in the human body once it stops beating, nothing else matters. Thus, If early actions are taken and on time the heart condition can be managed effectively and many patients can be cured and saved.

1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The major aim and objective of this design of a patient heartbeat and temperature monitor using RF. is to help the doctors and family members to keep track of the heartbeat condition of their loved ones as well as their body temperature in the case of an abnormality in the health condition for those with heartbeat defects and those that run excessive high temperature beyond normal. If any varied change takes place, it is notified. This notification through RF. Channel would to take an appropriate action at an instance of time, thereby alerting the appropriate persons.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

There are various instruments available in the hospitals to keep track of the internal body changes, but many of them have limitations regarding to maintenance, cost, size of instruments, and mobility. This project is so significant because it is mobile, small in size, cost effective, very easy to use, highly efficient performance, portable and light in weight etc. It uses RF. to help both the patient and the concerned doctor to take an appropriate action.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

This project operates at a 30 feets distance on open space. It is designed to operate with an alkaline battery of a minimum of 9 volts to a maximum of 12v consumes 50mA. It uses a buffer, temperature sensor, AT89c51 Microcontroller and a led display with buzzer for the alert. The hardware and soft ware of the system is oriented towards the AT89c51 single chip microcontroller. Hence, reducing the size of the device. A regulated 3.7v RF. operates in the frequency range of 415 MHZ per second used for data transmission, which can easily penetrate over three floors of a building and go over 30 feets in open space.

1.7 PROJECT REPORT ORGANIZATION

The organization of the project report is well detailed and vast in its coverage. It covers all the activities encountered during the research work as shown in the block diagram below.

Fig 1.1: PROJECT ORGANIZATION BLOCK DIAGRAM

The first chapter is the introductory chapter, which covers the background, project objectives, scope of the project, constraints and block diagram overview of the states. Chapter 2 presents the literature review. Chapter 3 covers the system analysis and design including the design methodology in block diagram form. Chapter 4 presents the system implementation, which shows the component layout, the wiring schedule, the wiring diagram and the complete schematic diagram. Chapter 5 covers the testing and integration of the project design. The system testing was first carried out in a laboratory. Chapter 6 is the summary and conclusion, which includes the summary of achievements, problems encountered during project design, recommendation and suggestion for further improvement.

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE TRANSMISSION BETWEEN THE TRANSMITTER AND THE RECEIVER

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Fig.1.2. Basic idea of a transmitter and receiver transmission using RF.

With the aid of a simple, low cost microcontroller based heartbeat rate and temperature measuring device with LCD output. The heartbeat rate of a patient is measured from the index finger or the wrist or neck using IRD infrared device sensors and the rate is then averaged and displayed on a text board LCD.

The device sounds an alarm when the heartbeat and body temperature exceed the safe threshold value. The programmer stipulates this threshold value at the time of programming of the microcontroller. The threshold value given for the device is between 20 to 120 pulses per minute for heart beat indication and 18 degrees Celsius to 38 degrees Celsius for temperature.