The design and evaluation of discrete wearable medical devices for vital signs monitoring

dc.contributor.advisorCellek, Selim
dc.contributor.advisorAspinall, Richard
dc.contributor.advisorSinclair, Alan
dc.contributor.authorPitts, David Geoffrey
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-12T15:24:26Z
dc.date.available2016-08-12T15:24:26Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractThe observation, recording and appraisal of an individual’s vital signs, namely temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), are key components in the assessment of their health and wellbeing. Measurements provide valuable diagnostic data, facilitating clinical diagnosis, management and monitoring. Respiratory rate sensing is perhaps the most under-utilised of all the vital signs, being routinely assessed by observation or estimated algorithmically from respiratory-induced beat-to-beat variation in heart rate. Moreover there is an unmet need for wearable devices that can measure all or most of the vital signs. This project therefore aims to a) develop a device that can measure respiratory rate and b) develop a wearable device that can measure all or most of the vital signs. An accelerometer-based clavicular respiratory motion sensor was developed and compared with a similar thoracic motion sensor and reference using exhalatory flow. Pilot study results established that the clavicle sensor accurately tracked the reference in monitoring respiratory rate and outperformed the thoracic device. An Ear-worn Patient Monitoring System (EPMS) was also developed, providing a discrete telemonitoring device capable of rapidly measuring tympanic temperature, heart rate, SpO2 and activity level. The results of a comparative pilot study against reference instruments revealed that heart rate matched the reference for accuracy, while temperature under read (< 1°C) and SpO2 was inconsistent with poor correlation. In conclusion, both of the prototype devices require further development. The respiratory sensor would benefit from product engineering and larger scale testing to fully exploit the technology, but could find use in both hospital and community-based The design and evaluation of discrete wearable medical devices for vital signs monitoring DG Pitts ii Cranfield University monitoring. The EPMS has potential for clinical and community use, having demonstrated its capability of rapidly capturing and wirelessly transmitting vital signs readings. Further development is nevertheless required to improve the thermometer probe and resolve outstanding issues with SpO2 readings.en_UK
dc.description.notesSinclair, Alan (Beds and Herts Postgraduate Medical School)
dc.identifier.urihttp://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/10298
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherCranfield Universityen_UK
dc.rights© Cranfield University, 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder.en_UK
dc.titleThe design and evaluation of discrete wearable medical devices for vital signs monitoringen_UK
dc.typeThesis or dissertationen_UK
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoralen_UK
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_UK

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