Use Case: Contactless measurement of vital signs using radar

Your challenge

Breathing pauses during sleep, critical vital signs in an infant, or the need to monitor respiration and heart rate in the intensive care unit and in nursing care: There are many good reasons to record vital signs. Contact-based sensors are often used for this purpose, but they require effort to disinfect, attach, or adjust as needed. In addition, they exert constant pressure on the body, which can be uncomfortable and accelerates sensor wear.

Your benefit

A radar measures a person’s vital signs and movement parameters without physical contact and is therefore particularly well-suited for monitoring over extended periods of time. Its use can help reduce waste, extra work, and costs associated with consumables and contact-based sensors. We recommend positioning the radar sensor laterally, such as at the foot of the bed. This allows, for example, respiratory movements to be clearly detected at the torso and the pulse at the legs simultaneously—without any disruptive signal interference.

Extras

The radar technology developed by Fraunhofer IDMT can also be used in automobiles, for example, to monitor passengers' vital signs.

The sensor and software demonstrators mentioned here are intended exclusively for research and development purposes (research use only). They are not CE-certified as medical devices, and no performance evaluation within the meaning of the Medical Device Regulation has been or will be carried out. Data and analyses are not used in diagnostic or therapeutic decisions.