Arief Kurniawan ST MT (right) shows a graphic display of the 12 Lead ECG recording signal to ITS Chancellor Prof Dr Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng during the official launch at the ITS Research Center Building

ITS Campus, ITS News – The Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November (ITS) continues to develop health products at economical prices based on the internet to make it easier for patients and doctors during treatment. This time, the ITS research team led by Arief Kurniawan ST MT from the Department of Computer Engineering innovated an Electrocardiogram (ECG) heart monitoring tool with 12 leads or a 12 lead ECG that patients can use independently and monitored by doctors through cloud-based data.

ECG is a tool used to monitor the condition of the heart by measuring electrical activity or heart rate impulses. The 12 lead ECG has the highest effectiveness from other types of ECG because it can show the heart condition from 12 perspectives horizontally and vertically at the same time.

“Because of the high price, small hospitals generally use 1 lead ECG which is only able to see the heart condition from one perspective,” said one member of the ITS research team, Dion Hayu Fandiantoro ST MEng.

Use of 12 Lead ECG in cardiac patients

The ITS Computer Engineering lecturer continued, apart from developing a 12 lead ECG at a more economical price, the ITS team also focused on the device’s portability. The device can be used independently by the patient and monitored remotely by the doctor on duty. “The results of heart recording data stored in the Cloud can reduce paper use,” added this ITS alumnus.

Furthermore, Dion explained that patients only need to attach the electrodes to the chest at the specified point. This electrode taps the heart impulse, and the sensor device will receive the signal. “The heart’s electrical signal will be processed in real time by a 12-lead ECG device with the help of an algorithm formed by the ITS team,” explained the man who continued his master’s education at Kumamoto University, Japan, in the field of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

Overall 12 Lead ECG system methodology

The results of the cardiac impulse recording data processed by the 12 lead ECG device are in the form of a signal graph of 12 leads which will then be stored locally and displayed on the device’s LCD screen. Not only stored locally but the recording results are also stored in the Cloud to be displayed on the website. “Through the website, the team of doctors can monitor the results of recording the patient’s heart which is done independently to determine the diagnosis of the patient’s heart condition,” continued the man from Surabaya.

Dion also emphasized that before recording, patients are expected to register on the website that has been provided. After the user logs in with a personal account, the patient selects the start recording menu on the main page. On the recording page, patients need to enter their name, identification number, and the length of time recorded. Next, save the data and start recording. “Recording will be done according to the duration of time that is filled in on the website,” he explained.

Graphic display of heart recording signals in real time on the integrated website of ECG 12 Lead

In working on the 12 lead ECG, which took two years, there were also obstacles, one of which was the limited availability of patients willing to be the target of testing the tool. Dion and seven other team members hope that this tool can soon be clinically tested to be commercialized to the wider community. “This innovation is expected to be able to help treat heart disease and save many lives,” he concluded. (ITS Public Relation)

Reporter: Frecia Elrivia Mardianto