Breathing detection with a portable impedance measurement system: First measurements

For monitoring the health status of individuals, detection of breathing and heart activity is important. From an electrical point of view, it is known that breathing and heart activity change the electrical impedance distribution in the human body over the time due to ventilation (high impedance) and blood shifts (low impedance). Thus, it is possible to detect both important vital parameters by measuring the impedance of the thorax or the region around lung and heart. For some measurement scenarios it is also essential to detect these parameters contactless. For instance, monitoring bus drivers health could help to limit accidents, but directly connected systems limit the drivers free moving space. One measurement technology for measuring the impedance changes in the chest without cables is the magnetic impedance tomography (MIT). This article describes a portable measurement system we developed for this scenario that allows to measure breathing contactless. Furthermore, first measurements with five volunteers were performed and analyzed.