Remote Monitoring System For Covid-19 Patients In Home Isolation And Pilot Study Results In A High Altitude Population

Abstract

A remote monitoring device for measuring oxygen saturation by finger pulse oximetry, axillary temperature and respiratory rate has been constructed. This device has been tested in a pilot study on patients with confirmed Covid-19, determined by antigen tests, who were undergoing home quarantine. The system uses a Raspberry pi CPU with a PiCamera attached to perform optical character recognition from the displays of low-cost finger pulse oximeters and digital axillary thermometers. The temperature of the finger being measured using pulse oximetry was also recorded, as an additional variable, using a thermistor in contact with the finger. In a pilot prototype validation study, undertaken in Peru with eleven patients, the average oxygen saturation of patients living at 3350 meters above sea level was 92.88%, with a standard deviation of 1.65%. A patient with moderate symptoms and a patient with a deteriorating condition had temporary saturation levels below 88%. Axillary temperature and respiratory rate did not vary considerably over the study period. Finger temperature data was used to determine correct human-computer interaction with respect to measurement errors, failed attempts and to control sampling efficiency, which can be affected by cold fingers.