An Interferometric Sensor for Monitoring Respiratory and Heart Rate of the Human Body

This paper focuses on current trends in the noninvasive biomedical monitoring of the human body using a fiber-optic interferometric sensor. An interferometric sensor encapsulated into a thin circular layer of material polyurethane (code PU430 - PH30). This used material is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI). The sensor is primarily designed for use in electromagnetic interference environments (MRI). The monitored vital parameters of the human body are respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR). The sensor was tested in a laboratory environment on the ten volunteers upon their written consent, when the subjects tested were monitored in the supine and sitting position of the body. Testing was performed towards the reference ECG and the piezoelectric respiratory belt. Based on the objective Bland-Altman analysis (for respiratory rate averaging 96.49 % and for heart rate averaging 95.64 %), the sensor may be acceptable to clinicians. (the sensor is primarily intended for monitoring not for the diagnosis).