YOU CAN BUILD THE VITAL SIGNS MONITOR FROM AN ICU BEDSIDE - IT RUNS ON A RASPBERRY PI
Build the machine that beeps next to ICU beds—real ECG, respiration, SpO2 and temperature on a Raspberry Pi HAT you assemble yourself.
by ProtoCentral
HealthOpen-hardware
Built withESP32Raspberry PiRaspberry Pi Pico / RP20403D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- CERN-OHL-P v2 (hardware), MIT (software)
- repo
- repo ACTIVE78 stars
●●●●○ · a weekend-plus · CERN-OHL-P v2 (hardware), MIT (software) · 78 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
HealthyPi 5 is a fully open vital-signs monitor: live ECG, respiration, PPG, SpO2 and body temperature from one board in Raspberry Pi HAT format. An RP2040 handles acquisition and an ESP32-C3 adds Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, so it streams to ProtoCentral's OpenView app on a computer or phone, sits on a Raspberry Pi, or logs to microSD on its own. You understand every part of it because the schematics, BOMs and enclosure files are on GitHub under CERN-OHL-P, and the firmware and app are open too. It is aimed squarely at biomedical engineering students, researchers and anyone who wants to learn how patient monitors actually work. The easy path is the kit — pre-flashed board, ECG cable, SpO2 probe, temperature probe and electrodes; building the board yourself from the Eagle files means fine-pitch SMD assembly with medical analog front ends (MAX30001, AFE4400). The real work is getting clean signals: electrode placement and probe fit matter. Just never confuse education hardware with a medical device: it is explicitly not certified for clinical use, and when connected to a person it must run from a battery or properly isolated supply.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —Hardware schematics are CERN-OHL-P v2, software is MIT—both permit commercial use.
- —This repository holds the hardware: Eagle schematics and boards, BOMs, schematic PDFs and a 3D-printable enclosure. Firmware (RP2040 and ESP32-C3) and the OpenView app live in their own ProtoCentral repositories.
- —BOM spreadsheets are included for the Pro-Carrier and display add-on boards; for the main board you export the part list from the Eagle schematic. The board is also sold assembled by ProtoCentral, Mouser and Crowd Supply.
- —Documentation is split: hardware here, firmware and app in their own repos, and setup guides on ProtoCentral's website.
- —Not a certified medical device - strictly for education, research and development.
- —Raspberry Pi HAT format, but it also works on its own over USB, BLE or Wi-Fi; the kit includes the ECG cable, SpO2 probe, temperature probe and electrodes.
Parts to buy
4 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
HealthyPi from ProtoCentral (2016 teaser for the original HealthyPi)
A short 2016 teaser for the original HealthyPi, not HealthyPi 5. For HealthyPi 5, use ProtoCentral's online documentation.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the README and ProtoCentral's online HealthyPi 5 documentation (The README gives the overview and links the online docs for electrode placement, wiring and the streaming format)
- 2.Decide whether to buy the HAT pre-assembled or fabricate it yourself (Assembled boards and kits: ProtoCentral store, Mouser or Crowd Supply. Self-fabrication means ordering the PCB and sourcing every part from the Eagle schematic, which has no ready BOM spreadsheet for the main board.)
- 3.Install the OpenView app and connect over USB, Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi (Install OpenView from its releases page; firmware lives in protocentral_healthypi_5_firmware and healthybridge-esp32.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Forgetting that firmware has two halves: the RP2040 and ESP32-C3 firmwares must be updated together, because v2 changed the protocol between them.
- Underestimating BOM sourcing time if self-assembling the HAT—50+ components, some specialized (AFE chips, precision resistors), and availability fluctuates.
- Powering the board from a mains adapter while it is wired to a person — ProtoCentral requires a battery or a properly isolated supply.
- Treating it as a medical device or diagnostic tool—this is explicitly an education and research platform, not certified for clinical use, and misrepresenting it is both unsafe and potentially illegal.
- Assuming plug-and-play sensor operation—ECG electrode placement, SpO2 probe fit and temperature sensor contact all require calibration and practice to get clean waveforms.
- Following old tutorials: the Processing GUI and Python scripts in the repo are archived and superseded by the OpenView app — use OpenView.
Can I use this to monitor actual patients or diagnose medical conditions?
No. HealthyPi 5 is explicitly an education and research platform, not a certified medical device. It is not validated for clinical use, and using it as such would be unsafe and likely illegal.
Do I need to buy sensors separately?
Not if you buy the kit: it includes a Nellcor-compatible SpO2 finger probe, a 3-electrode ECG cable, a Qwiic temperature probe and 20 disposable electrodes. If you fabricate the board yourself, budget for those separately.
Can I run this without a Raspberry Pi touchscreen?
Yes. The board streams over USB, Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi to the OpenView app on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or iOS, and can log to microSD with no computer attached. A Raspberry Pi and display are optional; there is also an ST7796 display add-on board in the repo.
What is the difference between HealthyPi 5 and version 6?
HealthyPi 6 is a separate, newer board in the same family with its own Crowd Supply page; compare its specifications there. HealthyPi 5 measures ECG, respiration, PPG, SpO2 and temperature on one HAT-sized board.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
If you were building one, would you go for the pre-assembled HAT or fabricate it yourself?
ProtoCentral
ProtoCentral is a Bengaluru-based open-hardware company specializing in biomedical and health-sensing platforms. They have run multiple successful Crowd Supply campaigns and maintain a catalog of open biosignal acquisition tools aimed at researchers, educators and makers.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the repository is actively maintained and holds the hardware side - Eagle design files, schematic PDFs and enclosure STLs, with BOM spreadsheets for the carrier and display add-on boards (for the main board you export the part list from the Eagle schematic) - while firmware and the OpenView app live in separate ProtoCentral repositories. The board is a standalone unit in Raspberry Pi HAT format: it streams ECG, respiration, PPG, SpO2 and temperature over USB-C, Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi to OpenView on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or iOS, or logs to its microSD card, so no specific Pi display is required. Boards ship pre-flashed, and the kit includes the SpO2 probe, ECG cable, temperature probe and electrodes. The ProtoCentral video linked on the page is a 2016 teaser for the original HealthyPi, so use the online documentation for HealthyPi 5. Fabricating the board yourself is possible under the open CERN-OHL-P v2 licence, but buying the kit is the fast path. And worth restating, as the README does: HealthyPi 5 is not a medical device and must never be relied on for medical decisions; when connected to a person, power it only from a battery or a properly isolated supply. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.