Future directions of power sources for ambulatory ECG monitors

There exists a technology gap between portable diagnostic healthcare devices and the energy sources that power them. Battery technology has been developing more slowly than microprocessor, wireless, and data storage technologies, yet is fundamental to every nomadic healthcare device. Without either considerable battery development or a new approach to portable power the full impact of long-term portable ECG will be forever limited. This paper presents empirical measurements for a number of commercially available ambulatory ECG monitors and considers potential solutions to the aforementioned technology gap for the next generation of healthcare devices.