A radar ECG can monitor the patient – no electrodes required
This non-invasive measurement technology allows healthcare professionals to monitor a patient’s vital signs continuously and without contact from a distance and take action
Not all patients can have the ECG electrodes to their body. People with severe burns or wounds, skin allergies or Covid can be better of with this new radar ECG system. It is developed by Fraunhofer IZM and is in fact a high frequency radar the can be placed under the mattress of the patient. Vital signs like the heart rate and respiratory can be measured from a distance.
“The radar sensor system uses the radar chips and antennas to generate electromagnetic waves that are reflected by the body. The reflected waves are modulated by the rhythmic motion of the chest wall due to respiratory and heart activity. This can be measured and analyzed using the radar sensor system to extract the vital signs,” says Prof. Ivan Ndip, head of the RF & Smart Sensor Systems department at Fraunhofer IZM, explaining how the innovative high-frequency radar sensor system works.
The researchers at Fraunhofer IZM developed and optimized the 61 GHz radar antennas and radar front-end board for integration of radar chips, antennas and other system components to ensure a high SNR. Furthermore, the effects of manufacturing tolerances on system performance were systematically considered and analyzed during the development of the antennas and front-end board to ensure reliable and robust functionality of the medical radar sensor system. A special antenna design allows the experts to focus the electromagnetic waves on a specific narrow strip along the patient’s chest.
More information at Fraunhofer IZM
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