Abstract
In this paper, a first approach to the design of a portable device for non-contact monitoring of respiratory rate by capacitive sensing is presented. The sensing system is integrated into a smart vest for an untethered, low-cost and comfortable breathing monitoring of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients during the rest period between respiratory rehabilitation exercises at home. To provide an extensible solution to the remote monitoring using this sensor and other devices, the design and preliminary development of an e-Health platform based on the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) paradigm is also presented. In order to validate the proposed solution, two quasi-experimental studies have been developed, comparing the estimations with respect to the golden standard. In a first study with healthy subjects, the mean value of the respiratory rate error, the standard deviation of the error and the correlation coefficient were 0.01 breaths per minute (bpm), 0.97 bpm and 0.995 (p < 0.00001), respectively. In a second study with COPD patients, the values were −0.14 bpm, 0.28 bpm and 0.9988 (p < 0.0000001), respectively. The results for the rest period show the technical and functional feasibility of the prototype and serve as a preliminary validation of the device for respiratory rate monitoring of patients with COPD.
Highlights
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was quantified as the sixth leading cause of death in 1990 and is projected to be the fourth in 2030 [1], presenting secondary systemic manifestations [2]
The aim of this paper is to provide a description of a first approach to the design and implementation of a smart sensor device based on capacitive technology integrated into a smart vest for an untethered, low-cost and comfortable breathing monitoring
It communicates with a second device with more computational resources, referred to as the Decision-Analysis Device (DAD), establishing a Wireless Body Sensor Network (WBSN)
Summary
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was quantified as the sixth leading cause of death in 1990 and is projected to be the fourth in 2030 [1], presenting secondary systemic manifestations [2]. E-Health systems, together with smart sensor devices that allow real-time monitoring of relevant clinical parameters at home, are considered a promising approach to the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases [8]. The purpose of these systems is the telemonitoring and recording. The respiratory rate is a vital sign of special importance in the context of the monitoring and follow-up of respiratory diseases, especially to avoid dangerous situations in critically-ill patients, it is still considered as the most neglected vital sign [11] It could indicate a variety of pathological conditions in respiratory diseases, like COPD or sleep apnea, and in cardiovascular and metabolic disorders [12]. It is an essential parameter for the monitoring of postoperative patients [16] and for the detection of apnea or hypopnea events in pathologies related to sleep disorders
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