Thoracic and abdominal breathing volumes in various body positions

Abstract

Optoelectronic plethysmography, a non-invasive motion capture technique, calculates the tidal volume and tracks chest wall motions. This study used a motion capture system and a compression shirt with markers embedded in anatomical landmarks as optoelectronic plethysmograph to measure trunk movement in three different positions (standing, sitting, and lying). The recorded data were then processed to compare the contribution of thoracic and abdominal breathing during these three positions. The study showed that abdominal breathing predominates at low tidal volumes and when lying supine. The development of Smart-Shirts for breath analysis can be supported by the outcomes modeling approaches that could be improved.