rogert@vaxwaller.UUCP (Roger Tong) (08/27/86)
Can anyone point me to some references on amplifiers and associated circuitry that will allow me to monitor pulse rate? if there exists any off the shelf items that can do this, all the better. thanks rogert
jdk@psivax.UUCP (Jeff Konopka) (09/03/86)
In article <527@vaxwaller.UUCP> rogert@vaxwaller.UUCP (Roger Tong) writes: >Can anyone point me to some references on amplifiers and associated >circuitry that will allow me to monitor pulse rate? if there exists >any off the shelf items that can do this, all the better. > The Burr-Brown catalog has some suggestions of how to build EKG amplifiers. The biggest problem you will encounter will be 60Hz noise. You are looking for 2mV p-p signals. but.... If you are going to build your own circuit to display your EKG, be careful that your circuit is FULLY ISOLATED so that you don't go hooking yourself up to a hot 110V line. Use of batteries will not guarantee isolation from a ground fault if you interface directly to a CRT or a scope or any other device that gets its power from the line. Use an isolation amplifier or an optoisolator, and use a DC/DC converter if you plan to power the amplifier from a line powered power supply. If however you are simply looking for something that monitors just heart rate, those are comercially available from Sears. Jeff Konopka Pacesetter Systems Inc. {sdcrdcf|ihnp4}! psivax!jdk
ron@brl-sem.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (09/04/86)
In article <527@vaxwaller.UUCP>, rogert@vaxwaller.UUCP (Roger Tong) writes: > Can anyone point me to some references on amplifiers and associated > circuitry that will allow me to monitor pulse rate? if there exists > any off the shelf items that can do this, all the better. > You probably don't want to use an electrocardiagraph style circuit. They are extremely subject to patient movement etc...when used to measure pulse. A better system uses a photoelectric sensor that attaches to an ear or finger. It's pretty simple, I've seen do-it-yourself kits (possibly available from places like Radio-Shack) to do this. Edmund Scientific has a whole pile of these sensors in their shop. They are a bunch of old pacemaker followup kits in little wooden boxes. It includes a batter holder, the sensor and a cheap modem that signals the information over a 800 number that the patient is supposed to call. I bought two but I haven't bothered to try to do anything yet. -Ron