Wearable Contactless Respiration Sensor Based on Multi-Material Fibers Integrated into Textile

Area of Science:

• Wearable technology
• Biomedical engineering
• Electromagnetic sensing

Background:

• Current respiration monitoring methods often require direct skin contact or are obtrusive.
• There is a need for comfortable, non-invasive, and integrated solutions for continuous respiration monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel contactless respiration sensor.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating this sensor into everyday clothing.
• To assess the sensor's performance across different body positions and breathing depths.

Main Methods:

• A flexible spiral antenna sensor made from multi-material fibers (metal-glass-polymer) was designed.
• The sensor was integrated into a standard cotton t-shirt.
• Respiration was monitored by detecting frequency shifts in the antenna's operational frequency (2.45 GHz central frequency) caused by chest movements.
• Data was collected from two male volunteers in sitting, standing, and lying positions.

Main Results:

• The sensor successfully detected respiration rate changes through measurable frequency shifts.
• Deep breathing resulted in a frequency shift of 120-200 MHz, while shallow breathing caused a 10-15 MHz shift.
• The integrated sensor did not compromise user comfort or movement.
• The antenna also supported short-range wireless communication for data transmission.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber-based spiral antenna sensor offers a promising non-invasive method for respiration monitoring.
• Integration into textiles allows for comfortable and discreet wearable health tracking.
• The sensor's dual functionality for sensing and communication enhances its potential for remote patient monitoring and telehealth applications.