CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

Heart beat rate means the number of heartbeats per unit time usually

expressed as beats per minute (bpm). The human heart pounds to pump

oxygen rich blood to the muscles and carry cell waste products away from

the tissues. Heartbeat rate can vary according to the demand of the muscles to

absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes such as during exercise or

sleep. It also varies significantly between individuals based on age fitness

and genetics. This means that the heart must beat faster to deliver more

oxygen rich blood. During exercise routines the heartbeat rate gives a strong

indication of how effective the exercise is to the body.

The patient monitoring systems is one of the major improvements in the

global health care program because of its advanced technology. A patient

monitoring system measures the heartbeat and body temperature by using

embedded technology. This advancement in technology is highly needed

because many sick patients at the hospitals die because of high fever and

heart attacks. The trend of cardiovascular disease has shown that heart beat

rate plays a key role in determining the possibility of a heart attack while an

increase in the body temperature can induce fever on a patient. Heart diseases

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such as heart attack coronary heart disease congestive heart failure and

congenital heart disease are the leading causes of death for men and women

in many countries. Most of the time the aged people of the society are more

prone to heart disease problems than the younger ones. For people who live

alone with no one to monitor their health condition this device offers an

opportunity to them for a constant monitoring of their health status it is

developed to monitor and alert the doctors about the heartbeat and

temperature condition of a patient. It is developed to give patients a timely

and proper heath care.

These days it is not easy for doctors and the nurses to remain close to a

patients bed side to monitor their heath condition. In the past a huge and

fixed monitoring device was used (only in the hospitals) to know the health

status of a patient when on a bed. These monitoring devices are only

available in the hospitals and are constantly on the patient’s body. Many of

them are not user friendly so it is important that the doctors and family

members will have a handy device that can always monitor their patients

when they are not around. One of the vital things to monitor on a patient is

the body temperature. This has to do with the measurement of the body's

ability to generate and get rid of heat. Temperature monitoring is one of chief

indicators of the normal functioning of health. The nature of the human body

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is to keep its temperature within a narrow safe range in spite of large

variations in temperatures outside the body. Normal human body temperature

depends upon the place in the body from which the measurement is made

and the time and level of activity of the person. The typical body temperature

is 37.0 °C ± 0.4°C (98.6 ° F ± 0.7°F). When the body temperature is high the

blood vessels within the skin expand (dilate) to carry the excess heat to the

patients skin surface. One may begin to sweat and as the sweat evaporates it

helps to cool his/her body. When one is too cold the blood vessels narrows

(contracts) so that blood flow to the skin is reduced to conserve body heat.

This may cause an involuntary shivering in some people due to cold which is

a rapid contraction of the muscles. This extra muscle activity helps to

generate more heat. Under normal condition thus keeping one's body

temperature within a narrow safe range. Body temperature is regulated by

neural feedback mechanism which operate primarily through the

hypothalamus. The hypothalamus contains not only the control mechanisms

but also the key temperature sensors. Under control of these mechanisms

sweating begins almost precisely at a skin temperature of 37°C and increases

rapidly as the skin temperature rises above this value. The heat production of

the body under these conditions remains almost constant as the skin

temperature rises. If the skin temperature drops below 37°C a variety of

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responses are initiated to conserve the heat in the body and to increase heat

production. These includes: Vasoconstriction to decrease the flow of heat to

the skin Cessation of sweating shivering to increase heat production in the

muscles Secretion of nor epinephrine epinephrine and thyroxin to increase

heat production.

Another vital thing to monitor in a patient is the heartbeat rate. It is very

important that the heartbeat is to be normal. That is 72 BPM. If there is any

abnormality then the patient is in distress. Heartbeat rate means the number

of heartbeats per unit of time. The normal heartbeat rate of a resting person is

about 70 bpm for adult males and 75 bpm for adult females. The average

heartbeat per minute for 25-year old ranges between 140-170 beats per

minute while for a 60-year old it is typically between 115-140 beats per

minute and body temperature is 37 degree Celsius or 98.6 Fahrenheit. .

Normally it is difficult to keep track of the abnormalities in the heartbeat

count of by manual means. Patients are not well versed with the manual

treatments which the doctors normally use for tracking the count of the

heartbeat. Thus there must be some kind of device which would help patients

and their family member to keep track of their health by themselves. This

sole reason is why this project presents a heartbeat and temperature

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monitoring device using radio frequency (RF.). The concept of developing

an RF. based patient monitoring device is to have a simple home and

hospital based pulse and body temperature monitoring device for sick

person’s that are in critical condition and needs to be constantly or

periodically monitored by clinician or family.

1.2 WHAT IS A PATIENT HEARTBEAT AND TEMPERATURE

MONITOR USING RF.?

A patient heartbeat and temperature monitor using RF. is a radio frequency

based pulse wave and body temperature monitoring system which allows the

control of a sick person’s condition in real time. The system monitors the

heart beat and temperature of a patient simultaneously and if the patients

heartbeat rate or body temperature is abnormal the system alerts sends an

alert to the doctor or patient’s family members to quickly examine or

diagnose the patient’s condition and take early precaution to save the

patient’s life. The alerts sound can be triggered at any time as long as there is

a deviation in the health condition of the patient from the normal such that

the status of the patient can be known on time. The system consists of a

sensor which monitors the patient and sends a signal to a microcontroller

which processes it to determine the temperature and heartbeat rate of the

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patient before sending an alert to a receiver using radio frequency. The

receiver has to be in the possession of the patient’s doctor or family

members. This project can also be used by athletes who engage in physical

exercise and by medical professionals. Individuals such as athletes cyclists

or those who are interested in monitoring their heartbeat rate and body

temperature to gain maximum efficiency from their training can also use this

project. It can be used during physical exercise and healthcare.

1.3 PROBLEM DEFINITION

The human health is one of the most important concerns in the world today.

Anything/everything becomes meaningless when one becomes sick and dies

due to improper Medicare. For health reasons people governments and

several voluntary bodies spend a lot of money to ensure a better health

condition for themselves and the entire populace. Scientists and Engineers are

always at work to device a means of supporting/sustaining a sound health

condition for all through the invention of numerous technologies both

Electrical/Mechanical gadgets that are in use for health care delivery today.

The heart is a very delicate organ in the human body (once it stops beating

nothing else matters). Thus If early actions are taken (and on time) the heart

condition can be managed effectively and many patients can be cured and

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saved. The problem of patients slumping and dying is associated with

cardiovascular arrests and can be checkmated this sensitive and highly

effective device (the patient heartbeat and temperature monitor). This device

has an outstanding advantage that it is easy to handle and access. Heartbeat

rate and body temperature monitors are part of the most vital tools needed in

first aid kit for saving lives. Unlike the x-ray the heartbeat and temperature

monitor does not impose any hazard to the human health. There devices in the

market which can provide raw measurement data of the patients to the

doctors but the patients may not be able to interpret the medical measurement

into a meaningful diagnosis due to their limited medical background. On the

other hand if raw medical data is delivered to the doctor time is wasted and

may pose a problem but in emergencies waste of time can never be tolerated.

It is tough to share data over large area within a short period. Most of the

products available in the market have this drawback of limitation in flexibility

and portability. If the heat that is produced from metabolism cannot be

checkmated on time it will cause a turbulent body temperature which could

be worse than 40°C and lead to headache vertigo low blood pressure high

energy consumption unconsciousness and crocking up of body temperature

regulation function. On the other hand when the produced heat is less than

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the dissipating heat the body temperature cannot hold on and it will result to a

decrease in metabolism.

1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The major aim and objective of this design [of a patient heartbeat and

temperature monitor using RF.] is to help the doctors and family members to

keep track of the heartbeat condition of their loved ones [as well as their body

temperature] in the case of an abnormality in the health condition (for those

with heartbeat defects and those that run excessive high temperature beyond

normal). If any varied change takes place it is notified. This notification

through RF. Channel would to take an appropriate action at an instance of

time thereby alerting the appropriate persons..

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

There are various instruments available in the hospitals to keep track of the

internal body changes but many of them have limitations regarding to

maintenance cost size of instruments and mobility. This project is so

significant because it is mobile small in size cost effective very easy to use

highly efficient performance portable and light in weight etc. It uses RF. to

help both the patient and the concerned doctor to take an appropriate action.

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It is beneficial in terms of cost. It saves time and is very helpful to patients

who lives alone. It offers a freedom of movement to patients. It has a low

power consumption though the stability of its wireless data communication is

still to be enhanced. To some degree the wireless data communication via RF

has anti-jamming ability.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

This project operates at a 30 feet’s distance on open space. It is designed

to operate with an alkaline battery of a minimum of 9 volts to a maximum of

12v consumes 50mA. It uses a buffer temperature sensor AT89c51

Microcontroller and a led display with buzzer for the alert. The hardware and

soft ware of the system is oriented towards the AT89c51 single chip

microcontroller. Hence reducing the size of the device. A regulated 3.7v RF.

operates in the frequency range of 415 MHZ per second used for data

transmission which can easily penetrate over three floors of a building and go

over 30 feet’s in open space.

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1.7 PROJECT REPORT ORGANIZATION

The organization of the project report is well detailed and vast in its

coverage. It covers all the activities encountered during the research work as

shown in the block diagram below.

Fig 1.1: PROJECT ORGANIZATION BLOCK DIAGRAM

The first chapter is the introductory chapter which covers the background

project objectives scope of the project constraints and block diagram overview

of the states.