Pranapulse: Deskilled EKG for Low Resource Clinical Settings

Cardiovascular disease annually accounts for 30 percent of all global mortality, and this rate is expected to increase over the next few decades. In India, 17.2 percent of the total mortality rate is attributed to ischemic heart disease, a subset of CVD. The availability of CVD diagnostics is limited in low-income countries, particularly in rural areas. The high cost for these diagnostics, coupled with geographic location and lack of proximity to experienced doctors, limits their use and the subsequent treatment regime that patients can receive. To solve these problems, we have created PranaPulse, a low-cost 12-lead electrocardiogram device for diagnosing IHD in rural patients. The device connects to an Android device through a mobile application, which helps to collect and wirelessly send ECG data over to a cardiologist in an urban center. The cardiologist can then prescribe an individualized treatment for each patient electronically. To simplify electrode placement, we have also designed harness systems that are used to place the electrodes firmly and anatomically accurately on the patient. We propose to test each of these components with consideration that the device must be able to withstand harsh conditions, able to be reused, and simple to use.