Radar technology for non-contact measurement of vital parameters achieved a maximum deviation of 5% in 37% of respiratory rate studies and 48% of heart rate studies.
Systematic Review
Is radar technology accurate for non-contact measurement of heart rate and respiratory rate?
Radar technology shows promise for non-contact vital sign measurement, with most studies reporting deviations within 10%, though methodological heterogeneity limits comparability.
The use of radar technology for non-contact measurement of vital parameters is increasingly being examined in scientific studies. Based on a systematic literature search in the PubMed, German National Library, Austrian Library Network (Union Catalog), Swiss National Library and Common Library Network databases, the accuracy of heart rate and/or respiratory rate measurements by means of radar technology was analyzed. In 37% of the included studies on the measurement of the respiratory rate and in 48% of those on the measurement of the heart rate, the maximum deviation was 5%. For a tolerated deviation of 10%, the corresponding percentages were 85% and 87%, respectively. However, the quantitative comparability of the results available in the current literature is very limited due to a variety of variables. The elimination of the problem of confounding variables and the continuation of the tendency to focus on the algorithm applied will continue to constitute a central topic of radar-based vital parameter measurement. Promising fields of application of research can be found in particular in areas that require non-contact measurements. This includes infection events, emergency medicine, disaster situations and major catastrophic incidents.
Liebetruth et al. (Sun,) conducted a systematic review in Heart rate and respiratory rate measurement. Radar technology was evaluated on Accuracy of heart rate and/or respiratory rate measurements. Radar technology for non-contact measurement of vital parameters achieved a maximum deviation of 5% in 37% of respiratory rate studies and 48% of heart rate studies.