Design

The design solution for this project includes a total of seven components.

The components used in this prototype are;

1. The Tragood heart rate sensor
2. Arduino Uno/nano board
3. Two buzzers
4. A 1602A LCD display
5. A nightshade energy shield (power supply)
6. One push button

The backbone of this project will be the coding in the Arduino IDE. This coding will work with the components reading from the pulse sensor, telling the buzzers when to sound and telling the LCD screen what and when to display. I say an Arduino Uno or Nano because I have the most experience working with the Uno, but if there are no issues incorporating the programming and setup to the Nano, I will incorporate the Nano for a more compact set up. Everything working together should allow the device to take the user’s pulse every minute. This is meant to read the user's pulse at rest to determine any case of Tachycardia or Bradycardia. This device should be taken off during exercise, as the user's pulse could reach an upwards of 150 BPM or even higher depending on the user. Reading the user's pulse at rest could help the user keep their own record of their heart activity, which they could share with their doctor if they have any concerns. If you are at rest, and your pulse spikes or drops drastically, this could be due to various medical reasons, including things such as a heart attack, heart murmur, panic attacks, anxiety attacks, stress, etc.. This device will alert the user, so they can become aware of any symptoms, record what happened if they become concerned and in certain situations, seek medical attention.

When the device first powers up, it will begin to take the users pulse. As stated before, this device is designed to measure the user's pulse at rest. While the device is active, it will constantly display the user's BPM as it is taken. The pulse taken will be compared to the average resting range 60 - 100 BPM in adults, according to medical professionals and the device will determine if the pulse is too high or too low. If the devices alert protocol is not activated, the device will continue to measure the user's pulse every minute. If the alert protocol is activated, meaning the user's pulse has gone above 105 or below 40 BPM, the LCD will let you know if your pulse is too high or too low, along with the BPM measured. The alert will continue until the user presses the push button to stop the alert protocol, in which the device will go back to measuring the user's pulse every minute. So the alert is not screaming at the user if they take it off for a second, I have included a function in the code where the device will do nothing unless a pulse is detected.

The average resting heart rate in adults is 60 -100 BPM, but I have programmed the device to measure 40-105 BPM, why? The reason for this is because I want to allow an offset for error or circumstance. Meaning, that while wearing the device, if the user decides to walk up a staircase or suddenly becomes active, their pulse will slightly raise. If the user falls asleep with the device on, their pulse can drop as low as 40 BPM. Also, well trained athletes with healthy hearts can have a resting pulse of around 40 BPM. A low pulse could signal a healthy heart, but a pulse that is too low, could signal a medical issue.

Below is a copy of my handwritten electrical schematic showing my component setup.