How FPC Accelerates the Upgrade of ECG Monitoring Technology

Every year, over 18.6 million people worldwide die from cardiovascular diseases. However, traditional ECG monitoring methods face challenges such as the inability to be worn for extended periods, motion artifacts, and insufficient battery life, which hinder large-scale cardiovascular risk screening and assessment.

Every year, over 18.6 million people worldwide die from cardiovascular diseases. However, traditional ECG monitoring methods face challenges such as the inability to be worn for extended periods, motion artifacts, and insufficient battery life, which hinder large-scale cardiovascular risk screening and assessment.

To overcome these issues, on April 5, Professor Ren Tianling's team from the School of Integrated Circuits at Tsinghua University published a research paper in Nature Communications titled "Motion-Unrestricted Dynamic ECG System Based on Sensor-Free Electronics." The paper shared the latest breakthroughs in tattoo-style electronic skin developed by the research team.

Let’s take a closer look at the technological breakthroughs in this research and the application of FPC in wearable ECG monitoring devices.

To enable long-term ECG monitoring, the research team developed a motion-unrestricted dynamic 12-lead ECG system (MU-DCG system). Below are the main technological advancements:

Sensor-Free Wearability: The MU-DCG system uses flexible electronic devices that are closely attached to the skin and nearly unnoticeable, enabling long-term, comfortable, and accurate 12-lead dynamic ECG monitoring. This significantly improves patient tolerance, allowing for long-term, sensor-free wear.

Figure 1: Concept diagram and images of the MU-DCG system.

Reduction of Motion Artifacts: To facilitate skin assembly, the MU-DCG system features a pressure-activated flexible skin socket that stably connects soft modules on the skin with hard modules outside the skin during dynamic motion. This reduces the interference from motion artifacts on the ECG signal at the hardware level, significantly improving the accuracy of dynamic ECG monitoring.

Low-Power, On-Site Real-Time Signal Processing: The MU-DCG system integrates flexible electronic technology that conforms to the skin, along with advanced edge AI acceleration hardware and software technology. The system uses large-area, ultra-thin skin surface electrodes/leads and external modules to achieve motion-interference-resistant signal acquisition and on-site analysis while maintaining sensor-free wearability.

The Application of FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) in Wearable ECG Monitoring Devices

The application of FPC in wearable ECG monitoring devices is primarily based on its characteristics of being lightweight, flexible, and featuring high-density wiring, enabling stable signal transmission and component connection in complex and dynamic environments.

1 . High-Precision ECG Signal Acquisition and Transmission: In 12-lead dynamic ECG recorders, FPC integrates multi-electrode signals via internal flexible circuits. This design reduces the complexity of traditional lead wiring and minimizes interference and signal attenuation during transmission, ensuring accurate ECG waveform capture. Additionally, FPC's dynamic bend resistance ensures that the device maintains a stable connection during user movement, avoiding signal interruption or distortion caused by mechanical stress, reducing motion artifact interference, and improving monitoring accuracy.

FPC sample for ECG monitoring devices by JLCPCB

Device Miniaturization and Wearability Comfort: FPC enables circuit miniaturization through three-dimensional stacking in compact devices. By tightly connecting ECG sensors, electrodes, signal processing modules, etc., with FPC, an efficient ECG signal processing system can be built, helping to reduce the device size. Moreover, FPC can be as thin as 0.1mm, making the ECG collection patch weigh only a few grams. This design not only significantly reduces...

Will AR Glasses Replace Smartphones? The Future Powered by FPC and Breakthrough Technology!

Recently, Meta’s founder Mark Zuckerberg introduced a smart glasses collaboration with the premium sunglasses brand Ray-Ban, calling it a significant step toward achieving augmented reality (AR) glasses. These glasses are stylish and integrate cutting-edge technology, potentially revolutionizing the smart glasses market.

The design looks almost identical to regular glasses, but they are connected to Meta's powerful Llama models in the cloud and equipped with a high-definition, anti-shake camera. This allows for first-person photos and videos, similar to condensing a GoPro into a small pair of glasses.
The glasses, named "Ray-Ban Stories," start at $299 and allow users to take photos, record videos, listen to music, and make calls, offering basic functionality.

                                              (Orion AR Glasses, Source: Internet)

Glasses Specifications

• Equipped with two 500-pixel cameras. To protect privacy, the LED light on the glasses will light up when the cameras are active, alerting those nearby.
• Battery life: The glasses can capture up to 200 photos and 50 short videos on a full charge. Photos and videos can be uploaded to Facebook's social platforms via the Facebook View app.
• Storage: Supports around 500+ photos or 30 videos (30 seconds each). Photos have a resolution of 2592x1944 pixels, and videos are 1184x1184 pixels at 30 frames per second, with an estimated storage of around 3GB.

                                        (Source: Ray-Ban Store Official Website)          

Control Features

Users can adjust volume and take photos/videos via touch controls on the arms and buttons. The glasses also support voice assistant control.

The open-ear bone-conduction design allows users to hear environmental sounds while on a call. The glasses also feature 3 microphones for improved sound capture.

                                       (Source: Ray-Ban Store Official Website)   

AI Model Features

The new version integrates a large AI model, enabling you to ask, "Hey Meta, tell me what this is," and the glasses will interpret and identify the scene.

The bone-conduction earpiece enables real-time translation, allowing you to understand foreign speakers immediately.

Additionally, the glasses have a facial recognition feature. If you encounter unfamiliar people, such as clients or leaders, the glasses will recognize them and provide reminders.

Can AR Glasses Replace Smartphones?

Meta's AI glasses are certainly impressive. Their collaboration with Ray-Ban results in stylish eyewear that doesn't overload the glasses with excessive functionality, solving power consumption and weight issues. This makes them a step ahead of other AR glasses.

Some believe, including Zuckerberg, that glasses could eventually replace smartphones. While these AR glasses are lightweight, practical, and easy to wear, there are still many technical challenges to overcome before they can fully replace smartphones.

Technical Challenges Faced by AR Glasses

The main challenge for AR glasses is battery life. Zuckerberg mentioned that future glasses may be powered by a wearable device on the wrist. Although this innovation is promising, it will be difficult to achieve.

Additionally, the size, weight, and comfort of the glasses are crucial factors for users. AR glasses need to offer powerful computing capability and long battery life while remaining lightweight and stylish.

To overcome these technical hurdles, FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) is essential.

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