A Ubiquitous Platform for Camera-Based Multi-Parameter Vital Signs Monitoring in Hospital ICUs: A Double-Center...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Conventional physiological monitoring uses contact sensors, posing inconvenience and infection risks.
• Existing methods require cumbersome equipment and extensive wiring.
• There is a need for non-invasive, multi-parameter vital signs monitoring in intensive care units (ICUs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel non-contact, multi-parameter vital signs monitoring platform.
• To assess the performance of a red, green, and near-infrared (RG-IR) spectral imaging system for measuring critical patient parameters.
• To evaluate the system's potential for contactless monitoring in ICUs.

Main Methods:

• Development of a non-contact RG-IR spectral imaging system.
• Clinical trials involving 30 critically ill patients in two hospital ICUs.
• Validation of core algorithms on low-cost embedded chips for edge computation.

Main Results:

• The system accurately measured heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate (RR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO$_{2}$), and blood pressure (BP).
• Mean absolute errors were 1.89 bpm for HR, 19.04 ms for SDNN, 0.99 bpm for RR, 2.75% for SpO$_{2}$, and 5.67-8.98 mmHg for BP.
• Real-time performance was validated on embedded chips, demonstrating edge computation capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The RG-IR spectral imaging system offers a viable solution for non-contact, multi-parameter vital signs monitoring in ICUs.
• The system provides timely physiological information with reasonable accuracy, reducing patient inconvenience and infection risk.
• The technology is progressing towards clinical application, with NMPA registration underway as a Class II medical device.