| Popis: |
Respiratory rate monitoring can be performed by various conventional methods, but these methods do not provide sufficient comfort to patients in long-term monitoring of breathing. However, high user comfort can be achieved with monitoring of the patient’s vital signs using smart textiles systems. This article presents the design and realization of a respiratory rate monitoring system integrated into textiles. The research was focused on the selection of electrically conductive yarns to create a textile sensor for sensing the respiratory rate – electrically conductive SilveR.STAT® yarns were chosen for this purpose. These yarns were knitted into a non-conductive textile structure, and a respiratory rate sensor was created around the patient’s chest. When the patient is inhaling, the chest part widens, and the fabric is stretched. This phenomenon changes the parameters of electrically conductive yarns and thus increases the electrical resistance of the whole sensor. Exhalation returns the fabric to its initial state, and the electrical resistance drops to its original value. This principle of respiratory rate sensing is described in this article. The article also describes the measurements that verified the functionality of the proposed system. First, the system was compared with a reference device (spirometer) and then the repeatability of the system was tested using a bend test. It can be concluded that the system designed in this way can be used to monitor respiratory rate. |
