• 전기학회논문지
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.142-147
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• 2008

Abdominal circumference changes due to breathing by the respiratory muscle activity such as diaphragm, which would partially represent the lung volume variation. The present study introduced conductive rubber molded in a cord shape incorporated with a patient's pants. The conductive rubber cord operated as a displacement transducer to measure the lung or abdominal volume changes. Signal extraction circuitry was developed to obtain the volume and its derivative(or the flow) signals followed by wireless transmission based on the Zigbee communication protocol in a size of $65mm{\times}105mm$ easily put in pocket. Breathing frequency was accurately evaluated and breath pattern analysis seemed feasible, since respiratory behaviours such as maximal inspiration and cough were well identified. Remote wireless receiver module also enabled to monitor both volume and flow signals during resting breathing on a PC terminal.

• 전기학회논문지
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• 제57권7호
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• pp.1298-1303
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• 2008

Respiration is induced by muscular contraction of the chest and abdomen, resulting in the abdominal volume change. Thus, continuous measurement of the abdominal dimension enables to monitor breathing activity. Conductive rubber cord has been previously introduced and tested to develop wearable application for respiratory measurements. This study implemented respiratory monitoring system with the conductive rubber cord in the patient's pants in purpose of quantitative estimation of tidal volume. Air mixed with $0{\sim}5%$ $CO_2$ was inhaled and the respiratory air flow rate, abdominal dimension change, and end tidal $CO_2$ concentration were simultaneously measured in steady state. $CO_2$ inhalation significantly increased the tidal volume in normal physiological state with the subject unawared. The tidal volume estimated from the abdominal dimension change linearly correlated with the tidal volume measured by a pneumotachometer with a correlation coefficient of 0.88. Customized calibration for each subject resulted in relative errors less than 10%. Therefore, the tidal volume was accurately estimated by measuring the abdominal dimension change.

• 센서학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.133-142
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• 2008

Respiration is induced by muscular contraction of the chest and abdomen, resulting in the abdominal volume change. Thus, continuous measurement of the abdominal dimension enables to monitor breathing activity. Conductive rubber cord has been previously introduced and tested to develop wearable application for respiratory measurements. The present study implemented wireless wearable respiratory monitoring system with the conductive rubber cord in the patient's pants. Signal extraction circuitry was developed to obtain the abdominal circumference changes reflecting the lung volume variation caused by respiratory activity. Wireless transmission was followed based on the zigbee communication protocol in a size of 65mm${\times}$105mm easily put in pocket. Successful wireless monitoring of respiration was performed in that breathing frequency was accurately estimated as well as different breathing patterns were easily recognized from the abdominal signal. $CO_2$ inhalation experiment was additionally performed in purpose of quantitative estimation of tidal volume. Air mixed with $0{\sim}5%\;CO_2$was inhaled by 4 normal males and the respiratory air flow rate, abdominal dimension change, and end tidal $CO_2$ concentration were simultaneously measured in steady state. $CO_2$ inhalation increased the tidal volume in normal physiological state with a correlation coefficient of 0.90 between the tidal volume and the end tidal $CO_2$ concentration. The tidal volume estimated from the abdominal signal linearly correlated with the accurate tidal volume measured by pneumotachometer with a correlation coefficient of 0.88 with mean relative error of approximately 8%. Therefore, the tidal volume was accurately estimated by measuring the abdominal dimension change.