Smartphone Camera Heart Rate Respiratory Rate Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Measuring heart rate and respiratory rate in telehealth, remote care, and consumer wellness settings is challenging due to the cost and low adoption of specialized measurement devices, limiting their usage in remote physical assessments and monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a smartphone camera to measure heart rate by extracting a photoplethysmography (PPG) waveform and determining the dominant frequency, and measuring respiratory rate by analyzing optical flow data from video frames, allowing for accurate calculations without the need for specialized equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If specialized measurement devices are used for heart rate and respiratory rate measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces specialized mechanical measurement devices with a camera-based optical system. The camera captures video frames that are processed to extract PPG waveforms for heart rate measurement and respiratory rate measurement, eliminating the need for complex specialized hardware while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a camera to capture optical copies (video frames) of physiological phenomena (blood volume changes, respiratory movements) and processes these copies to extract vital sign measurements. This allows measurement without direct physical contact with specialized sensors
2Measurement precision
If specialized measurement devices are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation and accessibility worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera serve multiple functions: it acts as both a visual recording device and a physiological measurement sensor. The same camera used for video capture is also used to measure heart rate via PPG and respiratory rate via motion analysis, eliminating the need for separate specialized devices and improving accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows subjects to perform self-measurement by simply placing their finger over the camera lens or positioning themselves in the field of view. The automated processing of video frames extracts measurements without requiring manual operation or specialized knowledge, enabling easy use in telehealth and consumer wellness settings
3Device complexity
If consumer-grade cameras are used instead of specialized devices, then device cost and accessibility are improved, but measurement precision may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary signal processing steps including frame averaging, noise filtering, and waveform extraction before final measurement calculation. These preliminary actions on the raw video data compensate for the lower quality of consumer-grade cameras and improve the precision of the extracted physiological measurements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that transforms raw camera footage into usable physiological signals. The video frame processing pipeline acts as an intermediary between the consumer camera and the final measurement, extracting PPG waveforms and respiratory patterns that bridge the gap between consumer-grade hardware and medical-grade measurement precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides accurate heart rate and respiratory rate measurements with low mean absolute percent error and mean absolute error, reducing costs and improving access to medical care, enabling improved disease screening and diagnosis in various settings.
Implementation Method 1
measuring, by the computing system, a photoplethysmography (PPG) waveform from the plurality of image frames
Implementation Method 2
measuring respiratory rate by analyzing optical flow data from video frames
Data Source
AI summary
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for measuring heart rate and respiratory rate using a camera such as, for example, a smartphone camera or other consumer-grade camera. Specifically, the present disclosure presents and validates two algorithms that make use of smartphone cameras (or the like) for measuring heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) for consumer wellness use. As an example, HR can be measured by placing the finger of a subject over the rear-facing camera. As another example, RR can be measured via a video of the subject sitting still in front of the front-facing camera.