We have developed a home-computer based system, addressing important aspects of the development of contemporary home — care that comprises of first, the employment of low-cost commercially available components, supporting home-care patient’s well-being observation, including eventually vital-signs monitoring, and, second, software means for the processing, the evaluation and the targeted transmission of the acquired health-data, together with the home-care patient administration,. The hardware of the system comprises of, first, a custom-made ECG acquisition module, equipped with a RF link between amplifier and PC, second, a Nellcor finger pulse oximetry probe for typical plethysmography based Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) measurements and the estimation of Heart Rate (HR) and Respiration Rate (RR), and third, another custom-made Carotid Sounds (CS) acquisition module, for the extraction of Heart Rate (HR) and Respiration Rate (RR). The acquired row data and trends of SpO2, HR, RR, ECG waveforms, Oxygen Therapy advice etc. are appropriately processed to produce decision supportive data, while they can be easily stored in the home computer and / or transmitted to another location. The transmission can be achieved through wireless point-to-point links, modem and telephone lines on both, landlines and mobile cellular telephone lines, by a designated location through secured paths over the internet and, finally, through two satellite communication links. The pulse oximetry module is employed only if the patient is in need of Oxygen Therapy.
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