Abstract
In this paper, we present a new mobile wireless communication platform for real-time monitoring of an individual’s breathing rate. The platform takes the form of a wearable stretching T-shirt featuring a sensor and a detection base station. The sensor is formed by a spiral-shaped antenna made from a multi-material fiber connected to a compact transmitter. Based on the resonance frequency of the antenna at approximately 2.4 GHz, the breathing sensor relies on its Bluetooth transmitter. The contactless and non-invasive sensor is designed without compromising the user’s comfort. The sensing mechanism of the system is based on the detection of the signal amplitude transmitted wirelessly by the sensor, which is found to be sensitive to strain. We demonstrate the capability of the platform to detect the breathing rates of four male volunteers who are not in movement. The breathing pattern is obtained through the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) which is filtered and analyzed with home-made algorithms in the portable system. Numerical simulations of human breath are performed to support the experimental detection, and both results are in a good agreement. Slow, fast, regular, irregular, and shallow breathing types are successfully recorded within a frequency interval of 0.16–1.2 Hz, leading to a breathing rate varying from 10 to 72 breaths per minute.
Highlights
Changes in breathing rate are considered to be an important indicator of major physiological and pathological instabilities, such as cardiopulmonary disease, among others [1]
We have developed a new wireless communication platform to monitor in real time the breathing rate of a still individual via received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements
The system is composed of a non-invasive contactless sensor integrated into a stretchable T-shirt and a base station
Summary
Changes in breathing rate are considered to be an important indicator of major physiological and pathological instabilities, such as cardiopulmonary disease, among others [1]. The breathing rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute. The normal breathing rate of an adult at rest is about 14 breaths/min (bpm) [2], while a newborn’s breathing rate is 37 bpm [3]. Abnormal respiration rates for adults can be categorized as hyperventilation (bpm ≥ 24), hypoventilation (bpm ≤10), or apnea [4]. The lack of tools for continuous and accurate monitoring open up huge opportunities for novel sensor development [5,6]. Existing respiration monitoring systems are usually contact-based methods. Manual methods are most commonly used for measuring breathing rate
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