Development of a miniaturized in-ear pulse oximeter for long term monitoring of risk patients

Cardiovascular diseases belong to the most common causes of death in western industrial nations. The indication of risk factors is of great interest for both physicians and patients. For early diagnosis of irregularities in the human cardiovascular system a 24/7 monitoring system is developed, which is based on a micro-optic in-ear sensor. By means of a miniaturized electronic unit the plethysmogram can be acquired and processed locally by a microcontroller. The resulting signal is then transferred wirelessly to a personal digital assistant (PDA) or PC where the heart beat, oxygen saturation (SpO2), breathing frequency and slower perfusion rhythms can be calculated. This contribution introduces the system concept of the monitoring system and presents first measurement results.