Neurealm designed and rapidly realized a Proof of Concept (PoC) for an ECG Monitor Prototype using off-the-shelf components. Developed for an IoT-based product startup, the architecture integrates multiple physiological and environmental sensors into a unified monitoring system. By porting established software development kits to custom hardware, Neurealm enabled a functional, battery-operated healthcare solution with cloud connectivity.

Business Context

The client, a startup company specializing in IoT-based products, required a quick and cost-effective way to validate their healthcare monitoring concept. Key requirements included:
Rapid Prototyping: The need for a quick realization of the PoC using readily available components to accelerate the development cycle.
Mobile Power Design: The prototype was required to operate on standard AA or AAA batteries, necessitating a focus on power efficiency.
Automated Data Reporting: A requirement to transmit time-stamped sensor data to a predefined web server at regular 3-minute intervals.
Multi-Sensor Integration: The need to combine ECG data with environmental and location context, such as altitude and GPS coordinates.

Solutions

Neurealm implemented a technology-driven solution based on the TI CC3200 platform, featuring built-in WiFi for seamless data transmission:
Hardware Integration: Utilized the TI CC3200 MCU as the core, integrating a MediaTek MT3339 GPS module, a Bosch BMP180 barometric pressure sensor for altitude, and a TI AFE44x0-based PPG sensor.
Custom Driver Development: Developed specialized I2C drivers for the altimeter, UART drivers for GPS data, and SPI interfaces for the PPG sensor.
Signal Acquisition: Interfaced the ECG monitor via a 12-bit ADC to ensure precise physiological data capture.
Software Porting: Successfully ported the TI SDK to a custom board based on the CC3200, enabling full utilization of the MCU’s WiFi capabilities.