A homecare in-bed hardware system for precise real-time ECG and HRV monitoring with layered clothing

Researchers at KAIST, led by Professor Chul Kim, have developed an innovative bed-type heart monitoring on-device system that allows users to measure electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart rate variability (HRV) signals in real time simply by lying on a bed while fully clothed. This breakthrough overcomes the limitations of traditional ECG measurement methods, which require hospital visits, removal of clothing, and attachment of wet electrodes. By integrating advanced sensing and real-time signal processing directly into the bed, the system enables daily, comfortable, and continuous heart health monitoring, paving the way for early diagnosis and personalized preventive care. The paper was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics on August 9, 2025.

Addressing Limitations of Conventional Methods

ECG and HRV are key biosignals that reflect the electrical activity of the heart and are crucial indicators for early detection of cardiovascular diseases and ongoing patient health management. Conventional measurement methods, however, involve cumbersome procedures such as applying wet electrodes on bare skin in clinical settings, which makes long-term monitoring challenging—especially for elderly patients or those with chronic illnesses. Wearable or patch-type devices, though portable, often cause discomfort due to skin exposure and irritation, leading to poor user compliance in daily or clinical use. This has created an urgent need for a non-intrusive yet accurate monitoring solution.

Technological Innovations

To address these challenges, the KAIST team developed a flexible substrate-based sensor that integrates electrodes and electronic circuits, significantly enhancing signal precision. The system performs on-device signal processing to remove noise, detect R-peak points, and extract HRV features in real time at the hardware level. This enables stable and accurate ECG signal acquisition from the user’s back without direct skin contact or electrode attachment.

To overcome the susceptibility of fine biosignals like ECG to external electrical noise, the system applies multiple cutting-edge techniques: active shielding, driven right-leg circuits, wavelet transform, and peak detection algorithms. This multi-layered approach effectively resolves the stability issues that have long hindered non-contact measurement systems.

Future Prospects

This research opens new possibilities for long-term heart monitoring not only in hospitals but also in home environments. The technology holds strong potential for integration with remote healthcare platforms and personalized health management systems. It could be further extended to applications such as sleep quality analysis, stress monitoring, and early diagnosis and preventive care for chronic cardiovascular diseases and thus contribute to proactive and user-friendly healthcare solutions.

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (Basic Research Laboratory and Biomedical Technology Development Program) and the KAIST–CERAGEM Future Healthcare Research Center.