System and method for vital signs detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for vital signs detection. The system comprises a radiation source (16) for emitting radiation in a limited wavelength range for illuminating a skin area of asubject and a radiation detector (12), a radiation detector (12, 30, 40) for detecting radiation reflected from a skin area of a subject (1) in response to said illumination, and for generating firstand second detector signals, the first detector signal representing radiation (2) reflected from the skin area of a subject in a first wavelength subrange of said limited wavelength range of radiation (3) and the second detector signal representing radiation in a second wavelength sub-range of said limited wavelength range of radiation different from said first wavelength sub-range, and a vital signs detector (14) for detecting a vital sign from a combination of said first and second detector signals by computing the difference between said first and second detector signals.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to systems and methods for vital sign detection. Background technique [0002] A person's vital signs, such as heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR) or arterial oxygen saturation, are used as indicators of the person's current state and as powerful predictors of serious medical events. For this reason, vital signs are widely monitored in inpatient and outpatient care settings, at home or further in health, leisure and fitness settings. [0003] One way of measuring vital signs is plethysmography. Plethysmography generally involves the measurement of volume changes of an organ or body part, and in particular the detection of volume changes due to cardiovascular pulse waves passing through a subject's body with each heartbeat. [0004] Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical measurement technique that evaluates time-varying changes in light reflectance or transmission of a region or volume of interest. PPG is based on t...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0010] Cameras in the automotive field have been considered for vital sign detection, but motion robustness in this area is complicated by the strong requirement to use only the already available NIR (Near Infrared) illumination originating from a single LED light source ( Often emits radiation around 850nm)

The problem is that a camera that records the light reflected from the driver (e.g., the face) cannot distinguish between modulations caused by motion and modulations due to changes in absorption by the skin through changes in blood volume

Although many attempts have been made to solve this problem, no satisfactory solution exists so far

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