Tuesday, 10 January 2012

PROJECT ON WALKING STICK ECE PROJECT

The Walking Stick with Heart Attack Detection is equipment that is used daily to indicate heart 
 condition, to detect heart attack and to call for emergency help. It was designed specially to help senior citizens and patients with heart disease. This project is based on the previous project “Wireless Heart Attack Detector with GPS” 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute  states that “more than a million persons in the U.S. have a heart attack and about half (515,000) of them die in each year. About one-half of those who die do so within 1 hour of the start of symptoms and before reaching the hospital”. A heart attack happens to a person when the blood flow and oxygen supply to heart muscle is blocked, and it is mostly caused by the Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) .  CAD occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) become hardened and narrowed . It often causes irregular heart beat or rhythm by blocking blood stream.  The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggest that everyone should know the warning signs of a heart attack and how to get emergency help”.

The symptoms of heart attack can be detected by observing electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform. An ECG is an electrical recording of the heart and is used in the investigation of heart disease. An electrical impulse initiates muscle contraction, which results in heart beating. The spacing between pulses provides a measure of the heart’s rhythm, whereas the height of the pulses is an indicator of pumping strength. By observing the ECG waveform, the heart condition of the patients can be explained by doctors.

The ECG Library shows many samples of abnormal ECG waveform, and they are mostly collected from aged people who are more than 55 years old. The senior citizens are more prone to have heart attack than young people. The Walking Stick with Heart Attack Detection is specially designed to help the senior citizens who need walking aids by walking sticks and have the most possibility of heart attack. The walking stick is used as detection unit and as the medium asking for medical help.

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