A significant proportion of the globe’s populace experience various complications like “congestive heart failure” (CHF), asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and other prolonged diseases[1]. As a means of monitoring a chronic cardiovascular patient, a home monitoring device known as “Parameter Monitoring Device” (PMD) is used[2]. It entails parameters that show the oxygen infiltration, the pressure of blood, heart capacity, and ECG signals. It has an instinctive alarm to sense serious conditions and report to the Remote Care Centre. The monitoring system has a linkage with a “Parameters Monitoring Device” (PMD), which is linked to a “Coordinator Device” (CD). The CD links the PMD system to the computer system in the Remote Care Centre for alerts during emergencies [3].
PMD achieves the following tasks; first, it collects the general information on the patient about the heart rate, the pressure of blood, SCG signals, and blood oxygen. It then transmits the composed patient information to the coordinator, which reacts to the received information accordingly[4]. If the total information that the coordinator generates is outside the required measures for the patient, the alarm signals the Remote Care Centre. PMD is capable of monitoring additional patients dwelling in a similar location and recording both observations the send the alarm to the “Remote Care Centre”. Attributable to the different complications that PMD handles such as collecting patient information, getting the signals, processing the information, and directing the information to the Remote Care Centre, it has two microcontrollers that enhance efficiency in performances. The “Master-Slave Association” through serial interface links these microcontrollers[5].
During the monitoring process, the subordinate microcontroller receives directions from the master microcontroller and responds to them. The master microcontroller directs the slave microcontroller to send information concerning the HR feedback to the master. It also instructs the slave microcontroller on when to send responses received from blood oxygen and when the slave should close both the HR and blood oxygen section[6]. After communicating with the slave microcontroller, it also monitors the communications that occur to the Coordinator. PMD houses software that contains two sub-architectures and each of this sub-architecture are connected to the slave and master microcontrollers thus responding to the signals from the Coordinator respectfully. Whilst in the coordinator, they use one microcontroller MSP430F261x, while in PMD, they use two microcontrollers which are the MSP430F261x plus MSP430FG461x[7].
After the slave microcontroller receives instructions from the master microcontroller, it will wait until it receives signals, then it starts to monitor both the blood oxygen and the HR before sending the feedback to the master. Before the slave microcontroller receives commands from master controllers directing it on what to perform, it is always in a low-performance state and inactive to the blood oxygen and the HR. The purpose of microcontrollers in a monitoring system is to either make decisions or send guidelines[8]. When PMD starts, it activates the radio modem, which transfers the information to the Coordinator asking for the parameters list, and then the PMD monitors the list before transferring it to the master microcontroller. The message from the Coordinator lists all the factors that PMD will monitor. After the master microcontroller receives the list, it closes all the irrelevant parameters. After that, it transfers a signal to the slave microcontroller alerting it for the models that need activation providing it with the time and date of message transfer[9]. The slave records it in the system thus alerting the PMD to start monitoring the process. This process will continue until PMD gets another signal commanding it to stop. During this process, the Coordinator is answerable for stopping the monitoring process when PMD is separated from the radio system. It also stops the monitoring process when PMD is still in contact with the radio network. Finally, it stabilizes the monitoring process when there is an active command from the master microcontroller[10].
“The Parameter Monitoring Device” (PMD) collects the physiological factors on the HR, blood oxygen, and others that will be vital to the patient’s condition. It then registers the findings differently using the signals that are on the board for the tenacity of analysis. On the discovery of a non-expected, abnormality or serious situation, the PMD appeals for signals to be sent to the Remote Care Centre[11]. This method is reliable since it is trustworthy and needs a little assistance. Additionally, the total costs in the process are reasonable in comparison to those acquired in hospitals or nurses visiting the patient home.
- [1] Rocker, C, & M Ziefle, 2010, Smart Healthcare Applications and Services: Developments and Practices, Washington DC, Idea Group Inc.
- [2] Dossel, O, & W Schlegel, World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, New York, NY: Springer, 2009
- [4] Horowitz, P, & W Hill, The art of electronics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989
- [5] Abraham, W, & R Baliga, Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Herat Failure. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2009
- [6] Geddes, L, & L Baker, Principles of applied biomedical instrumentation. Hoboken, U.S.A: Wiley, 1989
- [7] Semmlow, J, Circuit, systems, and signals for bioengineers: a MATLAB-based Introduction, Washington DC: Academic Press, 2005
- [8] Topol, E, Textbook of cardiovascular medicine, volume 355. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007
- [9] Vlad, S, Cjupa R & Nicu A, International Conference on Advancements of Medicine and Health Care Through Technology; 23-26 September 2009 in Romania. New York, NY: Springer, 2007
- [10] Caroline, NA, & American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Nancy Caroline’s Emergency Care in the Street, Washington DC, Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010.
- [11] Parr, G, & P Morrow, Sensor System and software: Second International ICST the conference, New York, NY, Springer, 2011
Bibliography
Abraham, W, & R Baliga, Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Herat Failure. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2009
Caroline, NA, & American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Nancy Caroline’s Emergency Care in the Street, Washington DC, Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010.
Dossel, O, & W Schlegel, World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, New York, NY: Springer, 2009
Geddes, L, & L Baker, Principles of applied biomedical instrumentation. Hoboken, U.S.A: Wiley, 1989
Horowitz, P, & W Hill, The art of electronics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989
Parr, G, & P Morrow, Sensor System and software: Second International ICST conference, New York, NY, Springer, 2011
Rocker, C, & M Ziefle, 2010, Smart Healthcare Applications and Services: Developments and Practices, Washington DC, Idea Group Inc.
Semmlow, J, Circuit systems and signals for bioengineers: a MATLAB-based Introduction, Washington DC: Academic Press, 2005
Topol, E, Textbook of cardiovascular medicine, volume 355. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007
Vlad, S, Cjupa R & Nicu A, International Conference on Advancements of Medicine and Health Care Through Technology; 23-26 September 2009 in Romania. New York, NY: Springer, 2007