Touch-less heartbeat detection and measurement-based cardiopulmonary modeling

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Electromagnetics
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Remote physiological monitoring is crucial for non-invasive healthcare.
• Existing methods may require physical contact or have limited range.
• Microwave sensing offers potential for contactless vital sign detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a touch-less system for heartbeat detection using microwave technology.
• To model cardiopulmonary signals for accurate physiological assessment.
• To evaluate system performance across various frequencies and power levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a vector network analyzer and a microwave system for remote heartbeat signal detection.
• Conducted measurements at multiple frequencies (2.4-60 GHz) and power levels (0 to -27 dBm).
• Developed a cardiopulmonary signal model based on respiration and heartbeat measurements.

Main Results:

• Successfully detected heartbeat signals at a distance of 1 meter.
• Demonstrated the tunability of frequency and power for optimal detection.
• Extracted heartbeat rate and heart rate variability using wavelet and classic filters with signal-to-noise ratios between 0 and -20 dB.

Conclusions:

• The proposed microwave system enables effective touch-less heartbeat detection.
• The developed signal model accurately represents cardiopulmonary activity.
• This technology holds promise for remote and non-invasive patient monitoring.