Flexible wearable hybrid electronics integrated with electrocardio and phonocardiogram acquisition

Abstract

The application provides a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrated with electrocardio and phonocardiogram collection, comprising a flexible substrate, a flexible stretchable circuit, a conductive gel, a microphone device and a phonocardiogram pickup cavity; the flexible stretchable circuit is arranged on the flexible substrate; a gold electrode is arranged on the flexible stretchable circuit; the conductive gel is adhered to one side of the gold electrode and adhered to the other side of the human skin; the microphone device is arranged on the flexible stretchable circuit; the pickup hole of the microphone device is sleeved with the phonocardiogram pickup cavity; and the phonocardiogram pickup cavity is constructed by an elastic material to tightly adhere to the skin of the human phonocardiogram auscultation part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention pertains to wearable medical monitoring devices, specifically a wearable electronic device that integrates electrocardiogram and heart sounds. Background Technology

[0002] Heart disease has always been a major threat to human health. Early detection is extremely difficult due to the transient and unpredictable nature of heart disease symptoms. Wearable devices, with their small size, portability, and accuracy comparable to large devices, have gradually evolved from consumer-grade to medical-grade, becoming an important tool for improving cardiovascular health.

[0003] Traditional methods of ECG and heart sound monitoring in hospitals are limited by bulky equipment, wired connections, and rigid contact with the body surface, often making continuous monitoring impossible. Therefore, developing flexible devices that integrate ECG and heart sound monitoring, along with fully flexible integration of back-end circuitry, is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device that integrates electrocardiogram and heart sound acquisition. By combining electrocardiogram and heart sound signals with wearable flexible electronic manufacturing technology, it can provide comprehensive and accurate cardiovascular health information, and provide important support for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of heart diseases.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device for integrating electrocardiogram and heart sound acquisition, comprising: a flexible substrate, a flexible stretchable circuit, a conductive gel, a microphone device, and a heart sound pickup cavity;

[0006] A flexible and stretchable circuit is disposed on the flexible substrate;

[0007] Gold electrodes are disposed on the flexible and stretchable circuit.

[0008] The conductive gel adheres to a gold electrode on one side and to human skin on the other side.

[0009] A microphone device is disposed on the flexible and stretchable circuit;

[0010] The microphone's pickup hole is connected to the heart sound pickup cavity;

[0011] The heart sound pickup cavity is constructed of elastic material to fit closely to the skin of the area where the heart sound is auscultated.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the flexible substrate includes one of various polymers such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer, polystyrene elastomer, polyamide elastomer, silicone rubber, and styrene-terminated copolymer, as well as fiber materials.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment: the number of gold electrodes is not less than two, and the area of ​​a single gold electrode is 5 mm². 2 -20mm 2 ;

[0014] The gold electrode is connected to the main body of the flexible and stretchable circuit using a stretchable structure.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment: the stretchable structure is a stretchable wire.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment: the intrinsic elastic material of the conductive gel includes one of a variety of polymers such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer, polystyrene elastomer, polyamide elastomer, silicone rubber, and styrene-terminated copolymer;

[0017] The conductive filler of the conductive gel is a composite of at least one of the following: a metallic material, a carbon material, a carbon nanotube, a conductive polymer, a polystyrene sulfonate, a MOF, or MXene, and a polymer elastomer.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment: the flexible and stretchable circuit includes a microprocessor, an electrocardiogram monitoring chip, a microphone device, a filtering module, a Bluetooth module, and a power supply unit;

[0019] The Bluetooth module, microprocessor chip, power supply unit, and charging unit constitute the main circuit, which performs secondary processing on the collected signals, organizes and encodes the data into data frames, and sends the data frames to mobile devices or computers through the Bluetooth module.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment: the ECG chip is connected to the gold electrode, responsible for acquiring and processing raw ECG signals, and connected to the microprocessor via a communication bus.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment: the microphone device is responsible for collecting and processing the human heart sound signal.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment: the filtering module filters the acquired electrocardiogram and heart sound signals that are mixed with interference signals.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment: the Bluetooth module sends the ECG and heart sound signal data packets, processed by the microprocessor, to the mobile device;

[0024] In a preferred embodiment: the microprocessor chip controls the operation of the entire system and encodes and packages the signals collected by the ECG and heart sound chips.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment: the power supply unit provides energy for the system to operate for a long time and provides the voltage required for the chip to operate.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] The main technical problem this invention aims to solve is to provide a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device that integrates ECG and heart sound acquisition. By combining ECG-heart sound signals with wearable flexible electronics manufacturing technology, it can provide comprehensive and accurate cardiovascular health information, offering crucial support for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of heart diseases. With the development of wearable technology, devices are gradually moving towards clinical research and multi-parameter fusion monitoring. Organically combining ECG and heart sound signals allows for indirect inference of heart health status through the rate and rhythm of the heart's ECG-heart sound signals, and also enables multi-dimensional monitoring of the heart. Building a wearable multi-modal sensing monitoring platform, and ultimately developing a deep neural network based on the multi-modal coupling of synchronous electrical, mechanical, and acoustic signals, can further improve the accuracy of health monitoring by wearable devices. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrating electrocardiogram and heart sound acquisition in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the back of a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrating electrocardiogram and heart sound acquisition in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pickup cavity in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrating electrocardiogram and heart sound acquisition in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top / bottom," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "equipped", "sleeved / connected", "connected", etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a wall-mounted connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] like Figure 1-4 As shown in this embodiment, a flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrating ECG and heart sound acquisition includes an ECG monitoring chip responsible for processing ECG signals; an ECG conductive material that adheres to the human skin to acquire ECG signals; a filtering module that filters the acquired ECG and heart sound signals mixed with interference signals; a heart sound chip responsible for processing the human heart sound signals; a Bluetooth module that sends the ECG and heart sound signal data packets processed by the microprocessor chip to a mobile device; a microprocessor chip that controls the operation of the entire system and encodes and packages the signals acquired by the ECG and heart sound chips; a power supply unit that provides energy for the system to operate for a long time and provides the voltage required for chip operation; a charging unit that charges the battery; and a circuit board.

[0036] Preferably, the main circuit consists of a Bluetooth module, a microprocessor chip, a power supply unit, and a charging unit. It performs secondary processing on the collected signals, organizes and encodes the data into data frames, and sends the data frames to a mobile device or computer through the Bluetooth module.

[0037] Preferably, the Bluetooth module can adopt a variety of solutions, such as an integrated Bluetooth chip or a microstrip antenna, to build Bluetooth communication.

[0038] Preferably, the microprocessor chip can be selected from the STM32 series, Arduino series, Raspberry Pi series, and ESP8266, and should be a low-power, moderately fast chip to achieve 24-hour operation while meeting the performance requirements for data processing.

[0039] Preferably, the power supply unit is divided into two parts: a battery and a voltage regulator unit. The battery can be a rechargeable lithium battery, polymer lithium-ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-cadmium battery, or lead-acid battery. Rechargeable batteries have a long lifespan and can be repeatedly used, eliminating the inconvenience of battery replacement. The voltage regulator chip is a commonly used integrated circuit, mainly used to convert unstable input voltage into stable output voltage.

[0040] Preferably, the charging module can be either wired or wireless. Wired charging requires an external data cable and a charging interface, which is detrimental to circuit miniaturization and makes it uncomfortable to wear. Wireless charging eliminates the need for an external interface, allows for sealed packaging, and improves the device's waterproofness. Building a wireless charging unit requires a wireless charging receiver unit and a wireless charging transmitter unit. The wireless charging transmitter chip can be a model with wireless charging transmission functionality.

[0041] Preferably, the ECG monitoring chip, the ECG conductive material, the heart sound chip, and the filtering module constitute the signal acquisition circuit. The ECG chip can be one of those chips capable of acquiring analog ECG / EMG signals.

[0042] Preferably, the electrocardiogram conductive material can be made by direct contact with a metal sheet, by coating conductive gel on the inner surface of the conductive fabric, or by coating conductive gel on the metal electrodes of the fabric.

[0043] Preferably, the circuit board is the platform that supports all components, and can be selected from rigid boards, semi-flexible boards, and fully flexible boards as the circuit board substrate. Semi-flexible boards are based on PI material; wires and pads are first printed on the PI material, and then components are soldered onto the pads. PI material is resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, and has excellent bending properties. Fully flexible boards use PI material as the circuit board substrate, and wires and pads are engraved using laser engraving, with the remaining parts hollowed out. The circuit has good bending and stretching properties and can completely conform to the surface of human skin.

[0044] Preferably, the filtering module preprocesses the signal, filtering out signals of non-target frequencies. Since ECG and heart sound signals are low-frequency signals, a low-pass filter is used. Appropriate capacitors and resistors are selected in conjunction with an amplifier to form a multi-stage active low-pass filter for signal preprocessing.

[0045] Preferably, the intrinsic elastic material of the conductive gel includes one of a variety of polymers such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer, polystyrene elastomer, polyamide elastomer, silicone rubber, and styrene-terminated copolymer. The conductive filler of the conductive gel is a composite of at least one of the following: metallic materials (such as liquid metal, metal particles, and metal nanowires), carbon materials (such as carbon black (CB), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene), conductive polymers (such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)), and other materials (such as MOF, MXene) with a polymer elastomer (e.g., the underlying flexible substrate includes one of a variety of polymers such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer, polystyrene elastomer, polyamide elastomer, silicone rubber, and styrene-terminated copolymer).

[0046] Preferably, the number of gold electrodes is not less than two, and the area of ​​a single gold electrode is 5 mm². 2 -20mm 2 The gold electrode can be circular, square, or any other geometric shape. The gold electrode is disposed on a flexible, stretchable circuit and connected to the main body of the circuit using a stretchable structure. The stretchable structure includes serpentine wires, paper-cut shaped wires, or other stretchable wires.

[0047] The flexible substrate includes one of various polymers such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomers, polystyrene elastomers, polyamide elastomers, silicone rubber, and styrene-terminated copolymers, as well as fibrous materials such as paper, leather, and cloth.

[0048] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present invention by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention using this concept shall be deemed as an infringement of the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrating electrocardiogram and phonocardiogram acquisition, characterized in that It comprises: a flexible substrate, a flexible stretchable circuit, a conductive gel, a microphone device and a heart sound pickup cavity; The flexible stretchable circuit is arranged on the flexible substrate; A gold electrode is arranged on the flexible stretchable circuit; The conductive gel is adhered to one side of the gold electrode and to the other side of the human skin; The microphone device is arranged on the flexible stretchable circuit; The pickup hole of the microphone device is sleeved with the heart sound pickup cavity; The heart sound pickup cavity is made of elastic material to tightly adhere to the skin of the human heart sound auscultation site; the flexible substrate includes one of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer, polystyrene elastomer, polyamide elastomer, silicone rubber, and styrene block copolymer, and a fiber material; the number of gold electrodes is not less than 2, and the area of a single gold electrode is 5 mm 2 -20 mm 2 ; the gold electrode and the main part of the flexible stretchable circuit are connected using a stretchable structure; the flexible stretchable circuit includes stretchable conductive wires; the intrinsic elastic material of the conductive gel includes one of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer, polystyrene elastomer, polyamide elastomer, silicone rubber, and styrene block copolymer; the raw material of the conductive filler of the conductive gel is a composite of at least one of metal materials or carbon materials or carbon nanotubes or conductive polymers or polystyrene sulfonate or MOF or MXene and a high molecular polymer elastomer; the flexible stretchable circuit further includes a microprocessor, an electrocardio monitoring chip, a microphone device, a filter module, a Bluetooth module, and a power supply unit; the Bluetooth module, the microprocessing chip, the power supply unit, and the charging unit constitute the main circuit, perform secondary processing on the collected signals, arrange and encode the data into data frames, and send the data frames to a mobile device or a computer through the Bluetooth module; the filter module filters the collected electrocardio and heart sound signals mixed with interference signals.

2. The flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrated with ECG and PCG acquisition according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ECG monitoring chip is connected with the gold electrode, responsible for collecting and processing the original ECG signal, and connected with the microprocessor through the communication bus.

3. The flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrated with ECG and PCG acquisition of claim 1, wherein: The microphone device is responsible for collecting and processing the heart sound signal of the human body.

4. The flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrated with ECG and PCG acquisition of claim 1, wherein: The Bluetooth module sends the ECG and heart sound signal data packet processed by the microprocessor to the mobile device.

5. The flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrated with ECG and PCG acquisition of claim 1, wherein: The microprocessor controls the operation of the whole system, encodes and packs the signals collected by the ECG and heart sound chip.

6. The flexible wearable hybrid electronic device integrated with ECG and PCG acquisition of claim 1, wherein: The power supply unit provides energy for long-term operation of the system and provides the voltage required for the operation of the chip.

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