Evolution of ECG
Evolution of ECG: the Endless journey of offering better quality at lower cost
We are all familiar with the role of ECG machine in cardiac health care service delivery. Over the last 130 years, this device has been going through a long journey of transformation. How are market forces and underlying technology progression driving this transformation? The invention of usable ECG by Muirhead in London in 1869 or 1870 with a siphon instrument and Waller in 1887 with a capillary electrometer was a eureka moment. The device weighed 600 pounds, occupied two rooms and required five personnel to operate it. It took several decades before the device became small enough to move to a patient's bedside and to make the 12-lead ECG become a vital part of cardiac diagnostics.
Over the last 130 years, ECG device has been going through a series of incremental improvements to offer us better quality at lower cost. Here are few driving factors: 1. The delegation of roles from mechanical as well as electromechanical devices to electrical and electronic components. 2. Transferring roles from large container electrodes to solid state ones. 3. Decreasing roles of human, both patients, and operators, in producing outputs. 4. Transferring roles from physical devices to Software. 5. Delegating roes from human to machine to produce them. 6. Offering connectivity to complementary devices. 7. Merging (scope as well as scale benefit from integration) it with other devices as opposed to keeping it standalone.
Recently, the miniaturization of computing technology has led to the invention of small handheld ECG devices that allow a quick rhythm analysis on a patient in the clinic. These devices have been of variable quality and with limited battery life, storage and review options. The development of smartphone formed a new technology core at the dawn of the 21st century making the ECG machine to be carried in a pocket. The journey of making it smaller kept progressing making it a wearable.
Although such a relentless journey of incremental improvement does not create Eureka moment, but it’s critical for offering better quality at lower cost increasing both consumer and producer surpluses. Turning such practice into professional culture appears to be cortical to succeed in turning ideas to wealth. Often innovation begins with the work of genius, but subsequent progression in taking it to market at profit is very much routine consistent professional work–seldom requiring the fire of genius.