The Heart Arrhythmia Monitoring System allows medical professionals to remotely monitor a subject's heart rhythms in real time. The system consists of a Palm personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, and a Bluetooth transceiver. Electrocardiogram sensors connect to the patient noninvasively. The data is collected by the PDA and continuously transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth and the cell phone to a remote location. The data may be monitored in real time or recorded for later review using NASA's embedded web technology. The system can be worn in a shirt pocket or attached to a belt. Once commercialized, the Heart Arrhythmia Monitoring System could replace existing Holter monitors (which are used for diagnosing occasional cardiac arrhythmias) and also provide continuous monitoring of cardiac patients—whether they are in the hospital or at home.

Prototype of the early warning system device used to identify cardiac arrhythmias.

The system was developed by a partnership between NASA Glenn Research Center and the MetroHealth System's Heart & Vascular Research Center. The partnership grew out of an initiative to promote cooperation between MetroHealth and NASA Glenn. The potential of NASA's award-winning embedded web technology for remote monitoring of medical systems drew the attention of Dr. David Rosenbaum at MetroHealth. Dr. Rosenbaum initially met with David York, a member of the NASA team that developed the embedded web technology. A Space Act Agreement was developed and signed to pursue development of the Heart Arrhythmia Monitoring System.

The prototype system was built by a NASA team that included York, Michael Mackin, Michael Lichter, Dr. Kathy Liszka, Eric Stauber, Simon Tecle, and Tracee Smith. The prototype was tested at the Heart & Vascular Research Center by Dr. Dilip Pillai using subjects walking around the hospital. The testing measured the subject's EKG and associated parameters. The results of clinical trials, which were completed in August 2006, will be submitted for publication shortly.

Further development of the system will include the addition of a local data storage capability to ensure that data are not lost due to telemetry failures (i.e., cell phone signal loss). Using similar technologies, NASA gains the ability to remotely assess the heart condition of astronauts during zero and partial gravity conditions, particularly aboard the International Space Station. Cardiac arrhythmias are ranked very high on the risk scale for astronauts. In addition, more than 300,000 Americans die every year from sudden heart attacks attributed to electrical malfunctions of the heart. Because the system can detect arrhythmias before a patient feels any symptoms, the Heart Arrhythmia Monitoring System promises prompt detection of problems. The global positioning system incorporated into most cell phones can be used to locate the patient and ensure that life-saving treatments are promptly delivered.

The Heart Arrhythmia Monitoring System is a joint invention of employees of both MetroHealth and NASA Glenn. In order to be more responsive to the marketplace, the parties have agreed to jointly pursue patenting and to allow MetroHealth to take the lead in commercializating the system.