DESCRIPTION
Electrocardiography (ECG) is a fundamental diagnostic tool in clinical medicine, providing a graphical representation of the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG records the depolarisation and repolarisation of cardiac muscle fibres, which correspond to the propagation of electrical impulses through the myocardium.
In recent years, the use of wearable devices, such as smartwatches, for ECG acquisition has become increasingly prevalent. These devices typically employ two electrodes and are capable of recording a single lead, most commonly lead I (right arm to left arm). To extend their diagnostic utility, attempts have been made to generate a 12-lead ECG by sequentially repositioning the device to the anatomical locations corresponding to the standard leads. However, this approach results in asynchronous recordings, as each lead is acquired at a different point in time, rather than simultaneously.
Synchronising these asynchronous recordings to reconstruct a standard 12-lead ECG has proven to be a significant technical challenge. The primary difficulty lies in preserving the true morphology of the cardiac cycles across all leads, as required for reliable clinical interpretation. The proposed solution provides a method and system for producing a synchronised ECG from sequential, asynchronous recordings. This method would allow clinicians to review the ECG in the familiar format, facilitating accurate diagnosis and clinical decision-making, and would extend the utility of wearable devices in both clinical and remote settings.
ADVANTAGES
1. Easiness in ECG review for the clinicians, as they would be read in the standard format.
2. Reduction of the equipment and time needed for an ECG acquisition, as only the smartwatch would be needed.
3. Ability to record synchronised ECG remotely through the smartwatch.
MARKET OPPORTUNITY
Nowadays, we are exploring licensing opportunities through the contact network of the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH), who are coinventors of the proposed solution.
TEAM
Gonzalo Alonso Salinas, Mauro Buelga Suárez, Carmen Plaza Seco, Manuel Blanco Velasco
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
European Patent Application: 25382712.5
CONTACT INFORMATION
Innovation Unit: unidad.innovacion.salud@navarra.es (+34 848 42 70 30)