Video simulation of apnoea episodes

This paper presents a video simulator of apnoea episodes. A simple Continuous-Time Markov Chain (CTMC) model, describing the apnoea statistical behaviour, is combined with a properly designed video processing tool to insert apnoea episodes in the video recording of a normally breathing patient. In particular, the simulator has been applied to videos of newborns in order to simulate respiratory arrests. The obtained video streams are processed through a previously developed video processing-based system for automatic detection of apnoeas. Because of the rarity of apnoeas and the consequent limited availability of video recordings, the use of this simulator can be very helpful to test and design algorithms for detection of apnoea events. The presented results show that these events can indeed be simulated by the proposed video processing method in an accurate and reliable fashion. The proposed simulation approach can thus be very helpful for the implementation of innovative video-based, non-invasive monitoring systems or telemedical devices for in-home care.