Scientists have developed a medical device that can monitor patients’ breathing without contact.
- A new tool for monitoring breathing remotely and accurately has been successfully tested on toads.
- This innovation could make it possible to better manage the control of vital signs while respecting the well-being of patients.
- Used in a clinical setting it could be useful in many conditions.
Technology is an ally of health and scientists have demonstrated it with a new invention: a system that would allow the monitoring of vital signs such as breathing, without hindering the well-being, health and privacy of patients.
Indeed, while this monitoring is now mainly provided by wired or invasive systems, and the images stored, scientists from the Nano Institute at the University of Sydney in Australia have developed a remote radar system that allows very precise control and does not require physical contact.
The results of their work have been published in Nature.
Radar for monitoring vital signs: an accurate and simultaneous system
“Radar uses a light-based photonics system – rather than traditional electronics – to generate, collect and process radar signals. This approach generates very wideband radio frequency (RF) signals, which provides multiple, simultaneous and highly accurate tracking of subjects.“, explains the lead author, Ziqian Zhang, a doctoral student in the School of Physics.
The scientists combined it with LiDAR (light detection and ranging) which resulted in a detection system with a resolution of up to six millimeters and an accuracy of the order of a micrometer.
The researchers conducted their experiment on toads and were able to remotely and accurately detect pauses in breathing patterns. The system has also been used on devices simulating human breathing.
Non-contact monitoring is beneficial in many situations
This approach could not only improve patient comfort, but also reduce the risk of cross-contamination, making it a valuable tool in settings where infection control is crucial, the authors explain.
Constant monitoring of vital signs is necessary in various clinical settings”such as intensive care units, for patients with serious illnesses, health monitoring in aged care facilities and prisons, or in security monitoring situations where drowsiness can cause accidents”, say the authors.
“The next step will be to miniaturize the system and integrate it into photonic chips that could be used in portable devices.”said Mr. Zhang.
Useful for fighting sleep apnea
This invention could make it possible in particular to better detect and diagnose sleep apnea, also called obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAS), a nocturnal ventilation disorder due to the abnormally frequent occurrence of respiratory pauses, recalls the ‘Health Insurance.
Today, the diagnosis is performed in a sleep lab or doctor’s office, with sensors placed on the body that record breathing parameters during the night.
