JULY '23 UPDATE
Currently, the repository is public and contains all the documents, annexes and code. The aim is to make it easily accessible.
ABSTRACT
Wearable devices that can measure heart rate (HR) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) non-invasively and continuously are becoming increasingly popular for both fitness and medical purposes. However, measuring these vital signs accurately and reliably in wearable devices is challenging due to various factors, such as device design, sensor technology, signal processing, user behaviour, and environmental conditions. This thesis aims to assess the accuracy and reliability of HR and SpO2 measurement in the wearable device LifeVit Vital, which uses photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors to measure blood volume changes in the wrist. The thesis compares the results of LifeVit Vital with gold-standard methods such as electrocardiography (ECG) and oximetry, trough different positions (lie down, sit down, stand up, sport). The thesis uses the Bland-Altman method to analyse the agreement between the methods and discusses the challenges and limitations of using PPG-based sensors for HR and SpO2 measurement. The main findings of this thesis were that LifeVit Vital shows good agreement with ECG for HR measurement at rest, but not during physical activity, and that LifeVit Vital shows poor agreement with oximetry for SpO2 measurement in all situations. In this will be suggested some possible improvements for LifeVit Vital and future directions for research in this field.
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