Abstract
Technological progress is opening the possibility for long-term monitoring of vital parameters under daily-life conditions but also in extreme environments. Among emerging wearable technologies, in-ear devices possess both technical and physiological advantages for long-term monitoring. These are related to: i) the non-invasivity and unobtrusivity of in-ear devices; ii) the proximity and shared vasculature of the ear and the brain; iii) the relative absence of neurovegetative control of blood flow in the external auditory canal and in proximity of the tympanic membrane.
Based on these premises, we will present the results of a scoping review, which identified the available evidence from the last 10 years about the diffusion and performance of in-ear monitoring of vital parameters (temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation), with focus on applications in sport and occupational medicine and in extreme environment settings. Our systematic search identified thirty-nine studies (24 studies assessing temperature measurements, 12 studies on heart/pulse rate measurements, and three studies on oxygen saturation measurements). The studies supported the potential of in-ear sensors for physiological monitoring during daily-life and physical activity, but they also pointed out the necessity of further research to grant measurement accuracy in more challenging scenarios.
Following this summary of evidence, we will introduce the MedSENS project, funded by FESR Program 2014–2020 of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – Alto Adige (Grant Agreement [513/2019]/Project number [FESR 1114]), which aims at the realization of innovative sensors, integrated in an in-ear probe, for the combined monitoring of temperature, oxygen saturation, and heart rate. Coupled with an insulating headset, our in-ear probe holds premise for a reliable monitoring of vital parameters in emergency medicine under challenging environmental conditions.