Non-contact Respiratory Analysis via Thermal CO2 Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory analysis methods are limited by indirect inference of breathing behaviors, lack of sensitivity to detect subtle density variances and complex flow behaviors, and frame-rate limitations, which hinder accurate monitoring of turbulent respiratory activities and the identification of pulmonary conditions.
Innovation Solution
The system employs thermal and CO2 imaging with a CO2 thermal camera, depth imaging, and a laser transmitter/receiver for non-contact respiratory analysis, using inverse thermal CO2 segmentation techniques to track exhale flows and reconstruct 3D turbulent exhale flows, providing direct measurements of tidal volume, velocity, and strength, and incorporating machine learning for condition diagnosis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional tracer-based methods such as Particle Image Velocimetry are used, then discrete cross-correlation of tracer particles can be performed, but the method becomes impractical for clinical domain applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for discrete tracer particles by using continuous CO2 concentration field imaging instead. The CO2 visualization system directly images the exhaled gas density without requiring external tracer particles, thereby removing the complexity of particle injection, tracking, and correlation processing while maintaining practicality for clinical use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical tracer particle system with a thermal/CO2 imaging system. Instead of using visible light to track physical particles, the system uses CO2-specific thermal imaging to directly visualize the exhaled gas density and flow patterns, substituting a simpler imaging-based approach for the complex particle-based method.
2Measurement precision
If simple quantitative measures such as respiratory rate are monitored within limited Regions of Interest, then measurement simplicity is maintained, but potential high-level behavioral analysis is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The CO2 imaging system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it visualizes exhaled CO2 density patterns, measures respiratory rate, analyzes tidal volume, assesses breathing symmetry, and detects abnormal breathing behaviors. This multi-functional capability allows comprehensive respiratory analysis from a single imaging modality without requiring multiple separate measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from 2D thermal imaging to 3D volumetric reconstruction of CO2 density distributions. By adding the spatial dimension and temporal dynamics, the system can extract multiple respiratory metrics including flow patterns, volume changes, and behavioral characteristics, enabling high-level analysis without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If prior devices are used for respiratory monitoring, then basic monitoring capability is provided, but the sensitivity required to monitor subtle density variances and complex flow behaviors is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the imaging parameter from general thermal imaging to CO2-specific spectral imaging. By tuning the thermal camera to detect CO2 absorption bands, the system achieves high sensitivity to CO2 density variations specific to exhaled breath, enabling detection of subtle concentration changes that general thermal cameras cannot detect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CO2 as an intermediary substance that carries diagnostic information. By imaging the CO2 density distribution in exhaled breath, the system indirectly measures respiratory mechanics, lung function, and breathing patterns. This intermediary approach enables sensitive detection of respiratory conditions through CO2 visualization without requiring direct contact with the patient.
4Measurement precision
If traditional respiratory analysis methods are used, then indirect inference of breathing behaviors is achieved, but direct measurement of tidal volume and flow characteristics is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces indirect mechanical measurement methods (such as flow meters requiring mouthpiece insertion) with optical CO2 imaging. The imaging system directly visualizes and measures CO2 density, flow velocity, and volume characteristics optically, providing direct measurement of tidal volume and flow patterns without mechanical contact or indirect inference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the exhaled CO2 flow field through thermal imaging. By capturing the CO2 density distribution and flow patterns as images, the system produces a visual representation that can be directly measured and analyzed, replacing the need for physical flow measurement devices and indirect calculations.
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
This approach enables robust, non-contact respiratory analysis with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy, providing clinically meaningful metrics for pulmonary condition diagnosis, including tidal volume, nose/mouth distribution, and lung efficiency, while minimizing patient discomfort and allowing long-term monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
thermal and CO2 imaging with a CO2 thermal camera
Implementation Method 2
a laser transmitter/receiver for distance calibration
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the disclosed technology present a structural foundation for volumetric flow reconstructions for expiratory modeling enabled through multi-modal imaging for pulmonology. In some embodiments, this integrated multi-modal system includes infrared (IR) imaging, thermal imaging of carbon dioxide (CO2), depth imaging (D), and visible spectrum imaging. These multiple image modalities can be integrated into flow models of exhale behaviors enable the creation of three-dimensional volume reconstructions based on visualized CO2 distributions over time, formulating a four-dimensional exhale model which can be used to estimate various pulmonological traits (e.g., breathing rate, flow rate, exhale velocity, nose/mouth distribution, tidal volume estimation, and CO2 density distributions). Various embodiments also enable the accurate acquisition of numerous pulmonary metrics that are then stored within distributed systems for respiratory data analytics and feature extraction through deep learning embodiments.