MonitorZ – Portable Dual-Channel ECG Measurement Device
MonitorZ is a compact, USB-powered ECG acquisition and analysis platform developed for a university research partner focused on advancing ECG electrode technology. Featuring two fully independent acquisition channels: one for a reference electrode and one for the electrode under test: it enables direct, synchronized performance comparison in real time. A custom PC application handles live filtering, feature extraction, and multi-metric analysis, making MonitorZ a complete research tool in a single device.
Category:
MedicalIndustry:
Medical Research / BioelectronicsClient:
University Research PartnerYear:
2023The Challenge
Testing and comparing ECG electrodes in research settings is typically fragmented and inefficient. Most available systems record only one channel at a time, forcing researchers to perform repeated, non-simultaneous measurements that introduce variability. Signal analysis tools are usually separate from acquisition hardware, adding complexity and reducing throughput. The result is incomplete data, slow analysis cycles, and limited reproducibility, making it difficult to validate or iteratively improve electrode designs under controlled conditions.
Our Solution
We designed MonitorZ from the ground up as a purpose-built dual-channel ECG system with seamless PC integration. The device captures ECG signals from two electrodes simultaneously at 500 SPS per channel, transmitting continuous data streams over a single USB connection that also provides power. The companion PC application performs live signal filtering, computes amplitude, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), cross-channel correlation, and HRV, delivering instant, quantitative feedback on electrode performance without any external amplifiers or complex calibration.
Key Features
- Synchronized Dual-Channel Acquisition: Two fully isolated ECG inputs sampling at 500 SPS each: Channel 1 for the reference electrode, Channel 2 for the electrode under test: enabling direct, simultaneous comparison.
- Real-Time PC Analysis Software: Custom application performs live signal filtering, amplitude measurement, SNR calculation, inter-channel correlation analysis, and HRV extraction with adjustable filter parameters.
- USB-Powered Compact Form Factor: Entire system powered and communicated via a single USB connection: no external power supply or extra cabling needed, suitable for lab bench or classroom use.
- Research-Grade Repeatability: Synchronized dual-channel capture eliminates measurement variability between channels, providing reproducible results that accelerate electrode development and validation cycles.
- Integrated Data Export: PC software supports data export for offline analysis, enabling results to feed into broader research workflows and academic publications.
Technologies
- STM32
- AFE (ECG analog front-end)
- USB CDC
- C (firmware)
- Python (PC application)
- Digital signal processing
- FIR/IIR filtering
- HRV algorithms
Results
MonitorZ delivered a genuine acceleration in the university partner's electrode research workflow. By unifying hardware acquisition and software analysis into a single, portable device, it eliminated the fragmented toolchain that previously limited reproducibility. Researchers can now compare electrode designs with precise, synchronized data in real time, turning iterative electrode evaluation from a bottleneck into a rapid, repeatable process.
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