Fiber Bragg Grating based Wearable Device for Monitoring Respiratory Activity

Abstract

Respiratory rate is a critical physiological measure examined in a clinical setting for early detection of illnesses such as COVID – 19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is caused by fluid accumulation in the lungs, preventing air from filling the lungs. In the present work, a wearable device based on a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor is developed. The FBG sensor is bonded to PVC oxygen mask and the wearable device is analyzed for the feasibility of adopting it for real-time respiratory rate monitoring in a non-invasive manner. Various phases in a breathing pattern are captured by the FBG sensor and the respiration rate is computed using the optical wearable device. Preliminary trials show that the sensor is effective in measuring the respiratory rate for normal, slow and rapid breathing patterns. The results obtained indicate about 20 breaths per minute for normal breathing and around 10 and 35 breaths per minute for slow and rapid breathing respectively. Small size, lightweight, and high flexibility are the pros of the proposed device compared to electronic sensors. Since it is immune to electromagnetic interferences, the wearable device can be used in some special environments such as Magnetic Resonance.