Breathing Data Analysis via Optical Chest Wall Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring breathing and lung functions, such as Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography and optical measurements, are invasive and uncomfortable, particularly for difficult or frail subjects, and lack accuracy in diagnosing lung diseases due to reliance on global parameters like volume rather than localized chest wall movements.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the analysis of a 2-dimensional data array representing body shape over time, using singular value decomposition to derive principal modes of movement, forming a signature that captures unique breathing patterns, and comparing these signatures with disease-state databases to enhance diagnostic accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If masks or mouthpieces are used to monitor breathing and lung functions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but subject comfort and ease of monitoring difficult subjects deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based measurement systems (masks, mouthpieces, elastic bands) with an optical measurement system that uses cameras and image processing to capture chest wall movement patterns. This substitution eliminates the need for physical contact with the subject while maintaining measurement capability, thereby improving subject comfort without sacrificing measurement utility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical field (light) as the measurement medium between the subject and the measurement system. Instead of direct mechanical contact, the system uses light to capture images of the chest wall surface, which are then processed to derive breathing parameters. This intermediary approach allows non-invasive measurement while preserving diagnostic information.
2Ease of operation
If Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography with elastic bands is used, then non-invasive monitoring is achieved, but fitting complexity and subject maneuvering requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical elastic band system with an optical imaging system. Instead of requiring physical bands to be fitted around the rib cage and abdomen, the system uses cameras to capture images of the chest wall surface. This eliminates the complex fitting procedure while maintaining non-invasive monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy (image) of the chest wall surface that can be analyzed without physical contact. The optical system captures a representation of the chest wall geometry and movement, which is then processed to extract breathing parameters. This copying approach simplifies the measurement setup by eliminating the need for physical sensors or bands.
3Device complexity
If global volume parameters are used for breathing analysis, then measurement simplicity is maintained, but diagnostic accuracy for localized chest wall changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chest wall surface into multiple regions using a grid system overlaid on the captured images. Instead of treating the chest wall as a single global volume, the system divides it into discrete measurement zones that can be independently analyzed. This segmentation allows detection of localized movement patterns while maintaining a relatively simple optical measurement approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from analyzing breathing as a single global volume parameter to analyzing it as a two-dimensional surface pattern. By capturing images of the chest wall surface and tracking displacement vectors across the surface grid, the system extracts spatial information that reveals localized movement patterns invisible to global volume measurements, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of analysing breathing data representing a shape of the trunk of a subject 104 as a function of time to monitor and/or analyse the subject's breathing pattern. The data is measured and processed into a data array relating to a 2-dimensional grid having grid points, a position in space of the shape at each grid point and points of time. The method includes the steps of mapping the data array onto a 2-dimensional array, decomposing the 2-dimensional array and forming a signature of the subject 104 from the decomposed 2-dimensional array representing a motion pattern.