Nordic-powered wearable enables continuous ECG monitoring for non-critical care settings
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Dandelion Medical Devices (DMD), in partnership with global engineering services company Cloud2GND, has developed a compact, disposable, wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring device for non-critical care settings. ‘PulseTape ECG’ is a wireless Holter-style wearable designed to continuously record single-channel ECG data over extended monitoring periods within routine clinical workflows.
Bluetooth LE for secure data transfer
Using the Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity provided by Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 SoC, sensitive medical data is securely relayed from the wearable to a smartphone, tablet or clinical workstation for clinician review. The device is supported by a patient-facing smartphone app that enables device activation, secure data upload, and automated report routing to clinicians.
PulseTape ECG incorporates a microsensor suite, including a single-lead ECG sensor coupled with wet electrodes, as its primary modality for long-term rhythm monitoring. The device is designed to be fully disposable and patient-applied, eliminating the need for device return or reuse and reducing the logistical and compliance burdens associated with traditional ambulatory ECG monitors.
“PulseTape ECG is engineered to maximise patient compliance by minimising disruptions to daily life,” says Andrew Holtman, the CEO of Dandelion Medical Devices. “Patients can apply the device at home, rely on their own smartphone for data collection without additional hardware, and complete monitoring seamlessly without the friction of device returns.”
nRF52840 SoC supervises sensors
In addition to providing low power wireless connectivity for secure pairing and data transfer, the nRF52840 SoC’s 64 MHz, Arm Cortex M4 processor with floating point unit (FPU) supervises the integrated sensors and executes device firmware developed by Cloud2GND using Nordic’s nRF Connect SDK (Software Development Kit) and the Zephyr RTOS. The firmware supports efficient sensor management, data handling and power-optimised device operation.
“Nordic’s ready-to-use Bluetooth LE stacks and mature development ecosystem allowed DMD and Cloud2GND to focus on application-level functionality, sensor integration and medical-grade development processes rather than radio implementation,” explains Holtman.
PulseTape ECG represents DMD’s first product built on the company’s broader PulseTape Platform, which is designed to capture, transmit and contextualise cardiovascular data across multiple care settings. The platform incorporates a multi-sensor architecture with secure Nordic SoC-powered Bluetooth LE connectivity and cloud integration, supporting future expansion into additional monitoring applications.
Each PulseTape ECG is designed to operate for up to two weeks on compact button-cell batteries under typical connection intervals, according to the company.
“Battery life was a key driver in selecting the nRF52840 SoC, as the project targeted multi-week operation in a compact, energy-optimised form factor,” says Holtman.
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