Medical Project
SpO₂ stands for peripheral capillary oxygen saturation. It's a
measure of the oxygen level in your blood, expressed as a percentage. A
healthy SpO₂ level typically ranges from 95% to 100%, meaning that
your red blood cells are carrying almost all the oxygen they can. pulse
oximeter is basically used by doctors.
Sensors for health monitoring:
1. SpO₂ & Heart Rate – Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors
like MAX30100 or MAX30102 use LEDs and photodiodes to
measure oxygen saturation and pulse rate.
2. Blood Pressure (BP) – Oscillometric BP sensors or
Piezoelectric pressure sensors can be used for non-invasive BP
measurement.
3. Glucose Level – Non-invasive glucose sensors using near-
infrared spectroscopy or continuous glucose monitors (CGMs)
like Freestyle Libre use interstitial fluid readings.
4. ECG (Electrocardiogram) – AD8232 ECG module is a common
biosensor for heart activity monitoring.
5. Temperature – Infrared thermometers or skin-contact
thermistors can measure body temperature.
Embedded Systems – Microcontrollers like Arduino or ESP32 can
interface with MAX30102 via I2C to process and display readings.
BLOOD PRESSURE LEVEL;
Blood pressure (BP) sensors work by detecting pressure variations
in arteries and converting them into readable signals.
Piezoelectric Pressure Sensors
These sensors rely on the piezoelectric effect, where certain
materials generate an electric charge when subjected to pressure.
When placed on the skin, they detect arterial pulsations caused
by blood pressure changes.
The sensor converts these pulsations into electrical signals, which
are processed to estimate BP.
GLUCOSE LEVEL MONITORING:
Non-invasive glucose sensors, including near-infrared
spectroscopy (NIRS) sensors and continuous glucose
monitors (CGMs) like Freestyle Libre, work by measuring
glucose levels without requiring blood samples.
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) SensorsThese sensors emit
near-infrared light onto the [Link] molecules in the
interstitial fluid (fluid surrounding cells) absorb specific wavelengths
of [Link] sensor analyzes the absorption pattern to estimate
glucose concentration.
CGMs like Freestyle Libre use a tiny sensor filament inserted just
under the skin.
This filament continuously measures glucose levels in interstitial
fluid.
The data is transmitted wirelessly to a reader or smartphone for
real-time monitoring.
ECG:
[ NOTE:
An electrical stimulus is generated by the sinus node (also
called the sinoatrial node, or SA node). This is a small mass of
specialized tissue located in the right upper chamber (atria) of the
heart. The sinus node generates an electrical stimulus regularly, 60
to 100 times per minute under normal conditions. ]
The module uses three electrodes placed on the body:
o RA (Right Arm)
o LA (Left Arm)
o RL (Right Leg)
These electrodes capture the electrical impulses generated by the heart
during each beat.
The filtered signal is processed to extract ECG waveforms. The module
detects PR and QT intervals, which represent different phases of the
heart’s electrical activity. The processed ECG signal is sent as an analog
output.
TEMPERATURE:
Skin-Contact Thermistors (Direct Measurement);
Thermistors are temperature-sensitive resistors
that change resistance based on [Link] placed on the skin,
they detect temperature variations and convert them into
electrical signals. The signal is processed to display an accurate
body temperature reading.
Infrared Thermometers (Non-Contact);
How They Work:
o Every object emits infrared radiation based on its
temperature.
o Infrared thermometers detect this radiation and
convert it into a temperature reading.
o A thermopile sensor absorbs the infrared energy and
generates an electrical signal proportional to the
temperature.( NOTE: The thermopile sensor has a thin
infrared absorber membrane made of materials like
silicon or bismuth-antimony alloys.)
o The device applies calibration algorithms to ensure
accuracy.
Thermistors are temperature-sensitive resistors that change resistance based on
heat.
When placed on the skin, they detect temperature variations and convert them into
electrical signals.
PRINCIPLE OF WORKING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENSORS:
1. PPG(photoplethysmography) sensors like MAX30100 & MAX30102 measure the SpO2
and heart-rate using the light absorption and the reflection by blood ;
The sensor emits red(660)nm and infrared(940nm) light on the skin. The oxygenated
& de-oxygenated blood absorb these wavelengths differently.
Oxygenated blood absorb more infrared light and reflects more red light. Where De-
oxygenated blood absorbs more red light and reflects more infrared light. The photodiode
detects the reflected light and convert them into the electrical signal.
As the heart beats, the blood volume in the capillaries fluctuates, where these fluctuations
cause variations in light absorption. So the sensor processes these variations to determine
heart rate. The algorithms analyze the signal to determine the heart rate and the SpO2:
Algorithms like: Ratio-of-Ratios Method (SpO₂ Calculation), Peak Detection Algorithms
(Pulse Rate Calculation)
HOW ITS USED INNOVATIVELY:
Ear-based PPG sensors are particularly promising because they experience less motion
noise compared to wrist-based sensors;
(REASONS: The ear has the rich blood flow,which makes it ideal site for the accurate
measurements. Also less motion-artifacts.)
Integration with Smart Clothing
Embedding PPG sensors into smart textiles (e.g., shirts, gloves) could enable
continuous health tracking without requiring separate devices.
BP SENSOR;
These sensor rely on piezoelectric effect, where certain materials generate an electric charge
when subjected to pressure. When placed on skin ,they detect aterial pulsations caused by
blood pressurechanges. The sensor converts these pulsations into electrical signals,which are
processed to estimate BP.
It can also be set up like smart clothing integeration. Also the REMOTE PPG uses camera-
based imaging todetect the blood volume changes. HOW IT WORKS: a high resolution
camera subtle color variation in the skin caused by blood [Link] phone based BP
monitoring and contact less health screening.
ANOTHER METHOD HOW IT CAN BE USED:
Transdermal optical imaging: Principle: Uses near-infrared light to penetrate the skin and
measure blood flow dynamics.
A light source (e.g., infrared LEDs) illuminates the skin.
A camera or optical sensor detects reflected light variations.
AI algorithms process the data to estimate systolic and diastolic BP.
GLUCOSE:
ACTUAL SENSORS
SpO₂ & Heart Rate (PPG Sensors)
MAX30102 – Optical sensor for SpO₂ and heart rate monitoring.
MAX30100 – Earlier version of MAX30102, widely used in wearables.
Pulse Oximeter Modules – Found in medical-grade pulse oximeters.
2. Blood Pressure (BP Sensors)
MPX5050GP – Piezoelectric pressure sensor for BP measurement.
NIBP Modules – Non-invasive BP sensors used in digital BP monitors.
Oscillometric BP Sensors – Integrated into automatic BP cuffs.
3. Glucose Monitoring Sensors
Freestyle Libre CGM – Continuous glucose monitor using interstitial fluid.
Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 – Advanced CGM with real-time alerts.
Non-Invasive Optical Glucose Sensors – Experimental sensors using near-infrared
spectroscopy.
4. ECG (Electrocardiogram Sensors)
AD8232 ECG Module – Compact ECG sensor for heart activity monitoring.
ECG Electrodes – Used in medical ECG machines for accurate readings.
Wearable ECG Sensors – Integrated into smartwatches for continuous monitoring.
5. Temperature Sensors
MLX90614 – Infrared thermometer for non-contact temperature measurement.
DS18B20 – Digital temperature sensor for skin-contact applications.
Thermistor-Based Sensors – Used in medical thermometers.