A Seminar on

RESPIRATORY RATE MONITOR

Contents
Introduction
Importance of monitoring respiratory rate
Various method of measuring respiratory rate
Respiratory rate measurement using Piezoelectric Sensor
(PZO)
Respiratory
rate measurement from Laser Doppler
Vibrometer (LDVi)
Respiration rate measurement system using Pyroelectric
Sensor
Impedance pneumography method
Capnometry
Respiratory rate measurement using PPG signal
Conclusion
References

Introduction
Respiration

rate is an important vital sign. It is, the

number of breaths taken within a set amount of
time.

Tachypnea

/Bradypnea / Apnoea, is a sensitive

indicator of physiologic distress that requires
immediate clinical intervention.

Figure 1. Normal breathing rate

[1]

Importance of monitoring
respiratory rate[2]

Figure 2: Causes of death (SOURCE: Sudden

Cardiac Arrest Foundation)

Tachyapnoea

are an important predictor of cardiac

arrest.(25-27breaths/minute)
Mortality is high in Tachypnea persons.

Various method of measuring respiratory

rate
Respiratory rate measurement using Piezoelectric Sensor
(PZO).
Respiratory

rate
Vibrometer (LDVi).

Respiration

measurement

from

Laser

rate measurement System Using Pyroelectric

Sensor.
Impedance

pneumography method.

Capnometry.
Respiratory

Doppler

rate measurement using PPG signal.

Respiratory Rate measurement using

Piezoelectric Sensor (PZO)[3]
Piezoelectric sensors have been used to detect breathing
effects, utilizing the piezoelectric property.
It directly measures the electric potential changes
produced when the piezoelectric ceramic is impacted by
respiratory airflow.
piezoelectric film sensor made of aluminum nitride (AlN)
material has good sensitivity.

Respiratory Rate using Piezoelectric

Sensor (PZO)[3](contd)

Figure 3. Respiration belt Sleep Sense

1387-kit.(Courtesy: www.biosemi.com)

Figure 4. Piezoelectric output,

periodogram

Measurement of Respiratory Rate from Laser

Doppler Vibrometer (LDVi)[4]
LDVi

is a fully no-contact measurement method for

monitoring of the respiration rate.
This method is operated at a distance of 3m, on different
point of the patient thoracic and abdominal area.
Laser Doppler vibrometers can effectively detect vibration
within two hundred meters with a sensitivity on the order of
1 (mm/s)/V.
The laser sensor works with a HeNe laser source.
No special safety precautions are required since laser power
is less than 1 mW.

Measurement of Respiratory Rate from Laser

Doppler Vibrometer (LDVi)[4] (contd)

Figure 5:Velocity signal measured on the

chest area

Figure 6: Polytec OFV-505, an advanced

laser Vibrometer head, output signal.

Measurement of Respiration Rate in Preterm

Infants by Laser Doppler Vibrometry[5]

Figure 7: Setup of measurement.

Figure 8: scheme and

procedure.

Respiration
Rate
Measurement
System
Using
Pyroelectric
[6]
Transducer
A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has faster response
time than those of traditional thermal devices.
A

PVDF film has both piezoelectric and pyroelectric

properties.
The

difference of temperature can be best sensed

by using PVDF placed in front of the nostrils by

means of a suitable holding device.

Respiration Rate Monitoring Gauze Mask

System Using Pyroelectric Transducer[6]

Figure 9: Experiment setup

Figure 10:Waveform derived

from belt system and
experiment setup

Impedance Pneumography Method[7]

The objective of this technique is to measure changes in

the electrical impedance of the persons thorax caused
by respiration or breathing.

In both of these methods, a high-frequency ac current is

injected into the tissue through the drive electrodes.

This potential difference is related to the resistivity of

the tissue between the voltage-sensing or receive
electrodes.

The equivalent resistance is defined as the ratio of the

voltage difference between the two receive electrodes
and the current that flows through the tissue.

Impedance Pneumography Method[7]

Figure 11: (A) Two Terminal measurement (B) Four Terminal

Measurement (C) Simulator output

Capnography

The

measurement

is

based

on

the

absorption property of infrared rays by

certain gases (like CO2, CO, and NO2).

When infrared rays are passed through

the

expired

air

containing

certain

amount of CO2, some of the radiations are

absorbed by it.

The detector changes the loss in heating

effect of the rays into an electrical signal.

Figure 12: Normal Capnogram

Respiratory rate measurement using

PPG signal[8]
Photoplethysmography(PPG)

measurement of
blood
changes with each heartbeat.

is
the
volumetric

The

PPG pulse obtained by the optical

sensor
is
used
for
various
cardiovascular
parameter
measurement.

Frequency

domain analysis of PPG

signal shows a two peaks first around
13: Frequency spectrum of the
0.25 to 0.35Hz and second at around 1Figure
PPG signal
to 1.5Hz.

Respiratory rate measurement

using PPG signal[8]

Figure 14: System block diagram

Figure 15: PPG of subject

Conclusion

Several techniques have been developed for

the measurement.

The choice of a particular method depends

upon the ease of application of the transducer
and their acceptance by the subject under
test.

Respiratory

effective.

rate monitor using PVDF is

cost-

References
[1] Cretikos M, Bellomo R, Hillman K, Chen J, Finfer S, Flabouris A, Respiratory
Rate: the neglected vital sign,The Medical Journal of AustraliaDec 2007.
[2] Ian Smith, John Mackay, Nahla Fahrid, Don Krucheck, Respiratory rate
measurement: a comparison of methods, British Journal of Healthcare
Assistants, vol 05 No 01, January 2011.
[3] Bryson Padasdao, Olga Boric-Lubecke, Respiratory Rate Detection Using a
Wearable Electromagnetic Generator , International Conference of the IEEE
EMBS Boston,
Massachusetts USA, August 30 - September 3, 2011.
[4] Zhigang Zhu, Ning Xiang, Detecting Voice, Heart Beats and Respiration by
a Laser Doppler Vibrometer, Online.
[5] Lorenzo Scalise, Ilaria Ercoli, Paolo Marchionni, Enrico Primo Tomasini,
Measurement of Respiration Rate in Preterm Infants by Laser Doppler
Vibrometry,IEEE,2011

References
[6] Y. P. Huang, M. S. Young and K. N. Huang, Respiratory Rate Monitoring Gauze
Mask System Based on a Pyroelectric Transducer, IEEE, pp 1648-1649, 2008.
[7] Amit K. Gupta, Respiration Rate Measurement Based on Impedance
Pneumography, Application Report, Texas Instruments, 2011.
[8] Nivedita Daimiwal, M. Sundhararajan and Revati Shriram, Respiratory
Rate, Heart Rate and Continuous Measurement of BP Using PPG,
International Conference on Communication and Signal Processing, IEEE, pp
999-1002 April 2014.