Abstract
A bio-radar system is presented for vital signs acquisition, using textile antennas manufactured with a continuous substrate that integrates the ground plane. Textile antennas were selected to be used in the RF (Radio Frequency) front-end, rather than those made of conventional materials, to further integrate the system in a car seat cover and thus streamline the industrial manufacturing process. The development of the novel substrate material is described in detail, as well as its characterization process. Then, the antenna design considerations are presented. The experiments to validate the textile antennas operation by acquiring the respiratory signal of six subjects with different body structures while seated in a car seat are presented. In conclusion, it was possible to prove that bio-radar systems can operate with textile-based antennas, providing accurate results of the extraction of vital signs.
Highlights
The bio-radar systems are composed of an antenna for transmission (TX), which focuses the energy towards the subject chest-wall, and another antenna for the reception (RX) to acquire its reflection
Presented good electromagnetic properties, it is suitable for the development of textile microstrip patch antennas for bio-radar
The manufacturing and characterization process of a novel textile substrate integrating the ground plane was presented. This material was used for the development of a bio-radar system to acquire the respiratory signal remotely
Summary
The vital signs acquisition through contactless means is a hot topic in the scientific community because it can be a promising tool to support healthcare and enhance smart systems. The so-called Bio-Radar system is a radar-based technology capable of acquiring the respiratory and cardiac signals without contact sensors. The bio-radar systems are composed of an antenna for transmission (TX), which focuses the energy towards the subject chest-wall, and another antenna for the reception (RX) to acquire its reflection. The received signal is a phase modulated version of the transmitted one. This modulation is triggered by the chest-wall motion that changes the travelled distance of the electromagnetic waves [1].
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