The use of a new ECG patch for exercise and prolonged monitoring: usability, evaluation of signal quality and utility to detect arrhythmias

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): ITEA. Background Accurate detection of myocardial ischemia and arrhythmia’s during free-living exercise could play a pivotal role in optimizing screening and monitoring of individuals with underlying cardiovascular disease. Although remote electrocardiogram (ECG) solutions are emerging rapidly, these applications are generally not designed nor validated for continuous use during vigorous exercise. Purpose In this proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the usability, signal quality and arrhythmia detection of a new self-adhesive dry electrode ECG patch, the Nighthawk Vital Signs patch, during exercise and prolonged continuous ECG monitoring in individuals with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Methods Six consecutive CCS patients scheduled for an exercise stress test as part of routine cardiac follow-up were recruited. The traditional 12-lead exercise ECG was combined with monitoring with the 1-lead patch. Following the exercise test, the subjects continuously wore the sensor for five days. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess the utility to detect arrhythmias with the patch. Signal quality for ECG recording was evaluated by using a signal quality indicator (SQI) based on the average QRS complex. Connection time and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were additionally calculated for prolonged ECG monitoring. Comfort and usability of the patch were evaluated by an online questionnaire. Results Six male patients with CCS (mean age 69.8 ± 6.2 years) completed the protocol. The mean time the patch was worn, was 118.3 hours (SD 5.6). The level of agreement between the patch and the 12-lead ECG was excellent for amount of premature atrial contractions (PAC’s) and premature ventricular contractions (PVC’s) during exercise stage, recovery stage and total test duration (ICC = 0.998, 0.998, 1.000, 1.000, 0.998, 1.000). There were no significant differences in the total amount of PAC’s and PVC’s detected with both methods during the exercise test (p = 0.785 and 0.180, respectively). One episode of atrial fibrillation was detected identically on both recorded ECG’s. Signal quality based on average QRS SQI during exercise did decrease slightly during (sub)maximal effort. Total connection time during recording was above 88% in all subjects and the SNR was above the target limit of 18dB. There were no reports on skin irritation, erythema or pain. Conclusion The Nighthawk Vital Signs ECG patch based on self-adhesive dry electrodes technology can be used for accurate arrhythmia detection during vigorous exercise. The sensor is also usable for prolonged ECG monitoring in free-living conditions and can therefore be of potential use in cardiac rehabilitation and telemonitoring for prevention of exercise-related cardiovascular events. However, more research is needed in order to analyze the signal quality over time together with a larger-scale validation study focusing on both arrhythmia and ischemia detection.