Noninvasive Monitoring Device to Evaluate Sleep Quality at Mining Facilities

The mining industry is constantly looking to improve the safety of mine operators and their productivity. The sleep quality of mine workers is an important issue related to both goals. Miners are usually exposed to hard working shifts in a hostile environment, which can lead to deficient rest between shifts. Inadequate sleep is related to fatigue and higher risk of accidents. Sleep quality is traditionally evaluated by specialized medical personnel through polysomnography by measuring apneas, body movements (BMs), and the time in bed (TB), among other parameters, trying to determine the sleep depth. We present a noninvasive sleep evaluation device based on pressure sensors on the bed that can be used to measure relevant parameters to estimate sleep quality. This device can be easily unobtrusively installed at mining facilities and provide the TB, the respiration frequency, BMs, apnea events, and the sleep depth. We present preliminary results that validate the device for future studies at mining sites and as a new hazard control mechanism.