Data from: Hearables: feasibility of recording cardiac rhythms from head and in-ear locations

Mobile technologies for the recording of vital signs and neural signals are envisaged to underpin the operation of future health services. For practical purposes, unobtrusive devices are favoured, such as those embedded in a helmet or incorporated onto an earplug. However, these locations have so far been underexplored, as the comparably narrow neck impedes the propagation of vital signals from the torso to the head surface. To establish the principles behind electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings from head and ear locations, we first introduce a realistic three-dimensional biophysics model for the propagation of cardiac electric potentials to the head surface, which demonstrates the feasibility of head-ECG recordings. Next, the proposed biophysics propagation model is verified over comprehensive real-world experiments based on head- and in-ear-ECG measurements. It is shown both that the proposed model is an excellent match for the recordings, and that the quality of head- and ear-ECG is sufficient for a reliable identification of the timing and shape of the characteristic P-, Q-, R-, S- and T-waves within the cardiac cycle. This opens up a range of new possibilities in the identification and management of heart conditions, such as myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation, based on 24/7 continuous in-ear measurements. The study therefore paves the way for the incorporation of the cardiac modality into future 'hearables', unobtrusive devices for health monitoring.

可用于记录生命体征与神经信号的移动技术，有望成为未来医疗服务运行的核心支撑。出于实用考量，佩戴隐蔽的设备更受青睐，例如内置头盔或集成于耳塞中的装置。然而，这类佩戴位置迄今仍未得到充分探索——由于颈部相对狭窄，会阻碍生命信号从躯干向头部表面的传导。为明确头部与耳部导联心电图（electrocardiogram, ECG）的记录原理，我们首先构建了可模拟心脏电位向头部表面传导的真实三维生物物理模型，该模型证实了头部导联心电图记录的可行性。随后，我们基于头部与耳道内心电图的实测数据，通过全面的真实世界实验验证了所提出的生物物理传导模型。研究结果表明，所提模型与实测记录高度吻合，且头部与耳部导联心电图的质量足以可靠识别心动周期内特征性的P、Q、R、S、T波的时序与形态。基于全天候持续耳道内测量，该研究为心肌梗死、心房颤动等心脏疾病的识别与管理开辟了诸多新路径。因此，本研究为将心脏监测模态融入未来‘可听穿戴设备’——即用于健康监测的隐蔽式设备——铺平了道路。