Rik J.C. van Esch

Rik J.C. van Esch is a University Researcher (equivalent to Assistant Professor) at Eindhoven University of Technology's Department of Electrical Engineering, affiliated with the Electronic Systems group and Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC). His work focuses on non-contact video-based vital sign monitoring and cardiac arrhythmia detection in clinical environments, leveraging computer vision and signal processing for ICU and hospital applications.

He holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology (2019), demonstrated by his thesis "Topology Detection in Brain Networks". His research spans biomedical engineering, cardiology, and intensive care medicine with emphasis on video-based remote monitoring, heart/respiration rate extraction, and arrhythmia detection using RGB cameras and optic flow analysis.

Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a clear trajectory toward clinical validation of camera-based monitoring systems in real hospital settings, with increasing focus on supraventricular tachycardia detection, atrial fibrillation screening, and ICU implementation. These works bridge biomedical engineering with clinical cardiology through machine learning and signal processing techniques, demonstrating practical applications for adverse event prediction.

Dr. van Esch secures research funding through ZonMw projects including FORSEE (2020-2026) for video-based adverse event signaling and atrial fibrillation detection initiatives (2020-2025). He actively disseminates findings through invited talks such as "Video monitoring of heart and respiration rate in the ICU" (2024) and contributes to academic education via courses on "Image analysis for health-care technologies" and "Video health monitoring" since 2015.

His research operates within the Electronic Systems group at TU/e through e/MTIC collaborations with Catharina Hospital, Máxima Medical Center, and Philips, ensuring clinical relevance and translational impact in medical technology innovation.