Smart Sensor Mat for Vital Signs Monitoring (Sensory Cushion)

Breathing rate/heart rate are important parameters in clinical monitoring of patients. Many heart and lung diseases affect breathing rate. Therefore, monitoring of the breathing rate is an important diagnostic method in planning of medical care. Most developments now are focused on electrical sensors.

We developed a new fibre optic breathing and heart rate sensor for both clinical and home care use. The innovative sensor package and system design have broken the price barrier to industry acceptance. The sensing system can simultaneously measure in-bed/out of bed status, the number of body movements and breathing rate/heart rate just by overlaying a sensor mat over the mattress. The system consists of a light source, detector and a sensor sheet. A proprietary algorithm is used to extract information on breathing rate/heart rate and body movement.

Other potential uses can be passive monitoring of vital signs on hospital beds. Examples are: Sleep apnea monitoring, Bed sore prevention, Hospital Automation, Suitable for use in MRI environment - immunity to EMI noise.