What is an ECG device?
The contraction of the heart – the contraction – is accompanied by an electrical excitement. This specific pattern repeats with every heartbeat. With the help of electrodes on the skin, the changes in the tension of the heart are derived. The ECG At the same time, the signals are picked up in order to first amplify them and then represent them as a curve. The result is a printout on paper or for the doctor on monitorseen. Both the cardiac function electrocardiogram and electrocardiography are abbreviated to ECG. The world’s first electrocardiogram was created by the British physiologist Augustus D. Wailer in 1882 with his dog. The real technical and theoretical breakthrough came from the Dutch physician Willem Einthoven. For his work on the electrocardiogram he was honored in 1924 with the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Medical everyday life is today, especially in internal medicine, without ECG unthinkable. An electrocardiogram may provide the doctor with vital information about the heart health of his patient. On the basis of an electrocardiogram, diseases such as myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia or myocarditis are recognizable. The ECG is divided into 3 forms. The resting ECG is used for routine diagnostics and also belongs to basic cardiological examinations in emergencies. The developed devices are modern and stable for transportable use. Side effects may occur with a stress ECG, which may include pain, breathlessness, paleness, nausea and dizziness. The devices are partially equipped with a bicycle ergometer. The long-term ECG device records the heart rhythm over 24 hours. In particular sporadically occurring disturbances can be better recognized with this method. The patient wears a so-called recorder. Subsequently, the derivatives are evaluated by means of a special software by the doctor.

Which ECG devices are there?
For self-monitoring on the move or at home, a mobile 1-channel ECG device is ideal. An example of this is the ME 80 from Beurer. It determines the heart rhythm in 30 seconds and gives feedback on the present measurement. About a USB plug, the records in the PCstored, graphed and, if necessary, printed for a doctor’s visit. The device is particularly suitable for patients with pre-existing conditions such as heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes, too high cholesterol and obesity. Family bias can also be a reason to choose a mobile device. It is positioned on the left side of the body, about 5 cm below the heart for measurement. A total of 99 electrocardiograms can be recorded. Based on these records, the course can be assessed over a longer period of time. Mobile long-term medical devices are offered by leading manufacturers such as Omron, Schiller and Nihon Kohden. Top class devices include the Omron Heart Scan, Nihon Kohden Cardiofax and Schiller Cardiovit. Suppliers of high-quality exercise ECG devices for medical practices are Dr. med. Schmidt, COMEN, Biocare and EDAN. World novelty among the medical products is the CardioSecur of the company Personal MedSystems GmBH. It is smartphone based. This allows the heart to be monitored anywhere, anytime. Here, too, recommendations for action are issued. The ease of use allows the first results within one minute, which can be obtained directly from the doctor if necessary Smartphonecan be sent out. The high-quality 12-channel electrocardiogram is characterized by its minimal design. The innovative electrode system also has a clear and reduced appearance. The cost is a self-payer benefit.