Applicability of a Textile ECG-Belt for Unattended Sleep Apnoea Monitoring in a Home Setting

Sleep monitoring in an unattended home setting provides important information complementing and extending the clinical polysomnography findings. The validity of a wearable textile electrocardiography (ECG)-belt has been proven in a clinical setting. For evaluation in a home setting, ECG signals and features were acquired from 12 patients (10 males and 2 females, showing an interquartile range for age of 48-59 years and for body mass indexes (BMIs) of 28.0-35.5) over 28 nights. The signal quality was assessed by artefacts detection, signal-to-noise ratio, and Poincare plots. To assess the validity, the data were compared to previously reported data from the clinical setting. It was found that the artefact percentage was slightly reduced for the ECG-belt from 9.7% +/- 14.7% in the clinical setting, to 7.5% +/- 10.8% in the home setting. The signal-to-noise ratio was improved in the home setting and reached similar values to the gel electrodes in the clinical setting. Finally, it was found that for artefact percentages above 3%, Poincare plots are instrumental to evaluate the origin of artefacts. In conclusion, the application of the ECG-belt in a home setting did not result in a reduction in signal quality compared to the ECG-belt used in the clinical setting, and thus provides new opportunities for patient pre-screening or follow-up.