Radar-Based Heart Cardiac Activity Measurements: A Review

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Smart Home Technology
• Remote Patient Monitoring

Background:

• Rising demand for contactless vital sign measurement systems, driven by smart home technology interest and pandemic-related remote patient monitoring needs.
• Doppler radar systems offer a promising contactless solution for vital sign acquisition, particularly for cardiac activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze the impact of design choices on the performance of Doppler radar systems for measuring heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV).
• To identify key factors influencing the effectiveness of radar-based cardiac monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of relevant scientific databases focusing on Doppler radar systems for cardiac parameter measurement.
• Analysis of system performance based on hardware architecture (e.g., FMCW), carrier frequency, and measurement distance.
• Discussion of signal processing trends and their influence on measurement accuracy.

Main Results:

• System architecture and signal processing algorithms were identified as the most critical factors affecting performance in HR and HRV measurement.
• Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) architecture demonstrated superior performance.
• Carrier frequency and measurement distance showed less significant impact on overall system performance.

Conclusions:

• Future Doppler radar systems for contactless vital sign monitoring can prioritize cost-effective, lower-frequency designs without compromising performance.
• Emphasis on optimizing system architecture and advanced signal processing algorithms will drive advancements in radar-based cardiac monitoring.