Jerzy Wtorek

Gdansk University of Technology · Department of Biomedical Engineering

Postoperative tissue flap vitality monitoring enables early detection of clinical complications, allowing for intervention. Timely re-operation can prevent the need for extensive correction procedures, thus reducing healthcare costs and hospitalization time. Statistics show that monitoring can increase the success rate of flap survival to 95% or hi...

Capacitive electrocardiography (cECG) is most often used in wearable or embedded measurement systems. The latter is considered in the paper. An optimal electrocardiographic lead, as an individual feature, was determined based on model studies. It was defined as the possibly highest value of the R-wave amplitude measured on the back of the examined...

Respiration-induced signals contain a clinically significant information. It could be obtained utilizing both direct and indirect methods. ECG-Derived Respiration (EDR) method is the latter one. However, in this case, two approaches could be distinguished. First one is based on determining changes in the morphology of QRS complexes while the second...

The precise mechanisms connecting the cardiovascular system and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are not well understood in detail. This paper investigates the couplings between the cardiac and respiratory components, as extracted from blood pressure (BP) signals and oscillations of the subarachnoid space width (SAS), collected during slow ventilation...

An applicability of a remote (contactless) electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements in a bathtub is presented in the paper. Possibility of ECG measurements in shallowly filled tube with a water was examined. A bathing person was, both, sitting and lying during experiments performed. The problem became non-trivial when the bathing person was moving in r...

A wearable system for monitoring non-invasively signals invaluable when examining person suffering from vasovagal syncope is presented in the paper. Following signals are continuously recorded: electrocardiogram, photopletysmogram, impedance cardiogram and electrodermal resistance.

The scope of this paper is analysis of applicability of modern biomedical acquisition system installed in bathtub towards reception of respiratory signals of bathing person. An analysis of the possibility of such measurement is shown as well as preliminary results.

An unobtrusive, noninvasive and continuous pressure measurement is invaluable however, still being under research and development. There are many attempts proposing an appropriate relationship between pulse pressure velocity and pressure. Fifteen different formulas, both theoretical and experimental, describing relation between blood pressure and c...

The aim of the study was to assess cardiac and respiratory blood pressure (BP) and subarachnoid space (SAS) width oscillations during the resting state for slow and fast breathing and breathing against inspiratory resistance. Experiments were performed on a group of 20 healthy volunteers (8 males and 12 females; age 25.3 ± 7.9 years; BMI = 22.1 ± 3...

The aim of the study was to assess blood pressure–subarachnoid space (BP–SAS) width coupling properties using time–frequency bispectral analysis based on wavelet transforms during handgrip and cold tests. The experiments were performed on a group of 16 healthy subjects (F/M; 7/9) of the mean age 27.2 ± 6.8 years and body mass index of 23.8 ± 4.1 kg...

The paper presents a preliminary meta-analysis of the sample correlation between pulse arrival time (PAT) and blood pressure (BP). The aim of the study was to verify sample correlation coefficient between PAT and BP using an affine model $ BP = a . PAT+b $ for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The databases included in the search were the IEEE...

Presented device -a scale developed for enabling extra measurements, in addition to body weight and composition, the electrical activity of the heart (electrocardiogram - ECG) and the level of oxygen saturation in the blood SaO2. Electrical activity is recorded in the form of six leads, so-called. limb leads. The device allows measurement of all st...

A typical galvanic-connected electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement system utilizes two signal’s electrodes and a third one in driven-right-leg (DRL) circuit for improving a common-mode rejection ratio(CMRR) of the acquisition system. In capacitive-coupled ECG similar techniques are used, however it is expected, that the utilized DRL subsystem is form...

The study evaluates the influence of natural light conditions on the effectiveness of the linear optical gesture sensor, working in the presence of ambient light only (passive mode). The orientations of the device in reference to the light source were modified in order to verify the sensitivity of the sensor. A criterion for the differentiation bet...

Basic gesture sensors can play a significant role as input units in mobile smart devices. However, they have to handle a wide variety of gestures while preserving the advantages of basic sensors. In this paper a user-determined approach to the design of a sparse optical gesture sensor is proposed. The statistical research on a study group of indivi...

Global aging has led to a growing expectancy for creating home-based platforms for indoor monitoring of elderly people. A motivation is to provide a non-intrusive technique, which does not require special activities of a patient but allows for remote monitoring of elderly people while assisting them with their daily activities. The goal of our stud...

An influence of a human body position on ECG derived respiration (EDR) signal is presented in the paper. Examinations were performed during deep, suspended and normal breathing for eight people in four different body positions. EDR and thoracic impedance signals were compared using correlation and standard deviation coefficients. Obtained results h...

A novel approach for monitoring a temperature distribution inside a tissue during thermoablation is presented in the paper. A thermal profile is measured using a set of serially connected thermistors each bypassed by a capacitor. This technique allows a two-wire and simultaneous multi-point measurements using a multi-frequency measurement of electr...

This paper presents the methods of diversified touchless interactions between a user and a mobile platform utilizing the optical gesture sensor. The sensor uses 8 photodiodes to measure the reflected light in the active mode (using embedded LEDs) or it measures shadows caused by fingers in the passive mode. Several algorithms were implemented: auto...

In this paper we present the possibility of using eGlasses eye tracking module as an extension for Scratch programming tool which is a visual programming language supporting computer skills learning. The main concept behind this project is to setup the interface for rapid interaction design. Eye tracking is a powerful tool for hands free communicat...

We propose the use of smart glasses to collaborate with smart objects in the Internet of Things environment. Particularly we are focusing on new interaction methods and the analysis of acceptable reaction times in the process of object recognition using smart glasses. We evaluated the proposed method using user studies and experiments with three di...

Human Body Communication is an attractive alternative for traditional wireless communication (Bluetooth, ZigBee) in case of Body Sensor Networks. Low power, high data rates and data security makes it ideal solution for medical applications. In this paper, signal attenuation for different frequencies, using FR4 electrodes, has been investigated. Per...

In this paper a novel application of inductive proximity sensors for detection of living tissue by means of measurements of the coil impedance changes at different frequencies is described. The mathematical analyses utilizing Bessel function estimation include detected object size and its distance from a sensor. The main aim of this study is to pro...

Currently, the most precise way of reflecting the skills level is an expert's subjective assessment. In this paper we investigate the possibility of the use of eye tracking data for scalar quantitative and objective assessment of medical staff competency in EMR system navigation. According to the experiment conducted by Yarbus the observation proce...

In this paper, septic safe methods of interaction with smart glasses, due to the health care environment applications consideration, are presented. The main focus is on capabilities of an optical, proximity-based gesture sensor and eye-tracker input systems. The design of both interfaces is being adapted to the open smart glasses platform that is b...

INTRODUCTION: Using a novel method called near-infrared transillumination backscattering sounding (NIR-T/BSS) that allows for the non-invasive measurement of pial artery pulsation (cc-TQ) and subarachnoid width (sas-TQ) in humans, we assessed the influence of sympathetic activation on the cardiac and respiratory contribution to blood pressure (BP...

In this paper we evaluated the possible application of a passive, optical sensor as an interface for human-smart glasses interactions. The designed proximity sensor is composed of set of photodiodes and the appropriate hardware and software components. First, experiments were performed for the estimations of such parameters as distance to an object...

Two methods of object position and movement estimation in relation to the user of smart glasses were investigated. An active infrared and ultrasonic methods of the obstacle detection were presented and compared. Application of these methods depend on active transducers type (physical medium used), geometry and surface properties of detected objects...

This paper presents the algorithm for validation of electrodes locations for the thoracic impedance measurements. In particular the presented algorithm was designed to perform the telemetric sleep apnea monitoring. One of the problems, during the clinical tests of a developed device, was to preserve the repeatability of measurements. It strongly de...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition of cyclic, periodic obstruction (stenosis) of the upper respiratory tract. OSA could be associated with serious cardiovascular problems, such as hypertension, arrhythmias, hearth failure or peripheral vascular disease. Understanding the way of connection between OSA and cardiovascular diseases is importa...

The main contemporary human-system interaction (H-SI) problems consist in design and/or improvement of the tools for effective exchange of information between individual humans or human groups and technical systems created for humans aiding in reaching their vital goals. This book is a second issue in a series devoted to the novel in H-SI results a...

Obstructive sleep apnea usually requires all-night examination in a specialized clinic, under the supervision of a medical staff. Because of those requirements it is an expensive and a non-widely utilized test. Moving the examination procedure to patients' home with automatic analysis algorithms involved will decrease the costs and make it availabl...

In this paper we present a new human-computer interface for the quantitative measurement of blowing activities. The interface can measure the air flow and air pressure during the blowing activity. The measured values are stored and used to control the state of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface. In speech therapy children will fi...

A Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is a death resulting from cardiac failure with no significant symptoms earlier than one hour before occurrence. It is the cause of for approximately 400000 deaths per year in United States and millions of deaths worldwide. The proposed system, including two-stage algorithm and wearable diagnostic device allows for SCD r...

Implicit interaction combined with object recognition techniques opens a new possibility for gathering data and analyzing user behavior for activity and context recognition. The electronic eyewear platform, eGlasses, is being developed, as an integrated and autonomous system to provide interactions with smart environment. In this paper we present a...

An influence of head movements on the gaze estimation accuracy when using a head mounted eye tracking system is discussed in the paper. This issue has been examined for a multi-display environment. It was found that head movement (rotation) to some extent does not influence on the gaze estimation accuracy seriously. Acceptable results were obtained...

The importance of human-computer system interaction problems is increasing due to the growing expectations of users on general computer systems capabilities in human work and life facilitation. Users expect system which is not only a passive tool in human hands but rather an active partner equipped with a sort of artificial intelligence, having acc...

This paper presents the basic ideas of eye and gaze tracking in multiple-display environment. The algorithm for display detection and identification is described as well as the rules for gaze interaction in multi display environment. The core of the method is to use special LED markers and eye and scene tracking glasses. Scene tracking camera regis...

Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea usually involves polysomnographic analysis, which unfortunately requires overnight stay in a specialized clinic and is very uncomfortable for a patient. This paper describes the method and apparatus for recording a set of signals to detect sleep apnea. The device records the following signals simultaneously: thr...

An influence of an electrode-array configuration on an impedance signal composition for a fixed spatial distribution of its sources is examined in the paper. The Finite Element Method and Geselowitz relationship were used for examining three different electrode-arrays. A sensitivity approach was used to evaluate each configuration assuming that loc...

This paper describes numerical simulations of the influence of conductivity changes inside a volume conductor on impedance changes measured on its surface. A simple model based on the finite element method has been developed to estimate an applicability of the effective conductivity theory in human chest modeling. The model consisted of a cylinder...

The paper presents a novel approach to assessment of ventricular dyssynchrony basing on multichannel electrical impedance measurements. Using a proper placement of electrodes, the sensitivity approach allows estimating time difference between chambers contraction from over determined nonlinear system of equations. The theoretical considerations whi...

A practical application of a bioimpedance technique for a detection of a bathing person is presented in the paper. It addresses the possibility of supervising people in the bathtub without voiding of their intimacy. The measurement system installed in a fiber-glass or a plastic bathtub is able to detect a presence of the bathing person, to estimate...

This paper presents the enhanced remote control and its role in pervasive health care in the home. The device was equipped with health-related measurement modules and a message-processing unit. Preliminary results are presented for monitoring of a pulse, hand tremors, grip forces, and for self-evaluation procedures. The interaction of the device wi...

In the present study, a home monitoring healthcare system for elderly and chronic patients has been proposed. System was developed for three types of users: the patient, doctor and guardian. The system is adapted for continuous measurement of biomedical signals, depending on the patient's disease. The system analyzes the collected information and i...

The experiences with the eye tracker have highlighted new issues for further investigation and developing solution. On our ongoing research we are trying to combine two different biometric user authentication methods relying on gaze pattern recognition while face features matching. This article presents methodology of using the mobile eye tracking...

An example of an infra-red remote control device is presented in this paper. The device is equipped with additional medical diagnostic features for physiological and mental training. It is primarily a diagnostic health-care unit to support the elderly. To improve the acceptance of the device, the additional features are hidden in the shape of an or...

Disorders of the heart and blood vessels are the leading cause of health problems and death. Early detection of them is extremely valuable as it can prevent serious incidents (e.g. heart attack, stroke) and associated complications. This requires extending the typical mobile monitoring methods (e.g. Holter ECG, tele-ECG) by introduction of integrat...

Health monitoring at home could be an important element of the care and support environment for older people. The diversity of diseases and different needs of users require a universal design of a home platform. We present our work on a sensor-based multimodal platform which is designed to recognize the activities an elderly person performs in thei...

Ageing of the population in developed countries is a major problem and a challenge not only from a social or an economic point of view, but it is also a challenge for engineers, as in the near future there maybe a lack of personnel to take care of the elderly. There is an expectation that the gap in this field might be filled by some electronic dev...

Dichromacy is a serious color vision problem, where people can see and recognize only a limited number of colors. In this article we propose computerized methods and systems for processing of WWW images and pictures obtained using a camera phone. Image simulation, transformation and color vision difference visualization methods are presented as a p...

Pulse pressure velocity measurements (PPV) may be a source of useful information on artery state. A 2007 guideline of the European Society of Hypertension recommends assessing arterial stiffness in patients with arterial hypertension, by measuring the PPV. Mechanical changes in the cardiovascular tree involved in the blood ejection have been measur...

Monitoring system for detection of person and his/her activity in the bathroom is described in the paper. It also detects and monitors person taking bath. The system consists of sensors measuring humidity, air and water temperature, spilled water, and state of bathtub. The bathtub state detector (BSD) allows controlling water level and its temperat...

Gaining information on mechanical contraction of a particular heart chamber is essential in many clinical situations. There are a few techniques which may provide such information, e.g. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT) or Ultrasonography (USG). However, each of the mentioned technique has limitations. The main...

An electrode matrix and electronic circuit for simultaneous monitoring heart performance and respiration activity is described in the paper. The heart performance is evaluated basing on a mechanical and electrical activity. The mechanical activity is measured using bioimpedance method while the electrical one using a typical approach, i.e. one chan...

In the article a distributed supervisory system is presented. The system consists of a set of the measurement nodes to track and supervise the most common domestic media consumption. The main goal of the system is to determine activity of the habitants. This has been achieved by means of electrical energy, water and gas consumption tracking. Severa...

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a very promising treatment for patients with congestive heart failure. An Impedance Cardiography (ICG) is used for evaluation of heart mechanical activity. A simulation study with the use of a FEM model was performed. The developed realistic model of the thorax, based on CT data obtained from examination o...

A multichannel impedance and one lead electrocardiographic recording system has been developed. The impedance measurement unit is built using a four-electrode technique. It consists of a sinusoidal, 40 kHz, current source and five measurement channels. Circumferential current electrodes have been located at a neck and an abdomen. Voltage measuremen...