Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Remote sensing of patterns of cardiac activity on an ambulatory subject using millimeter-wave interferometry and statistical methods

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using a 94-GHz millimeter-wave interferometer, we are able to calculate the relative displacement of an object. When aimed at the chest of a human subject, we measure the minute motions of the chest due to cardiac activity. After processing the data using a wavelet multiresolution decomposition, we are able to obtain a signal with peaks at heartbeat temporal locations. In order for these heartbeat temporal locations to be accurate, the reflected signal must not be very noisy. Since there is noise in all but the most ideal conditions, we created a statistical algorithm in order to compensate for unconfident temporal locations as computed by the wavelet transform. By analyzing the statistics of the peak locations, we fill in missing heartbeat temporal locations and eliminate superfluous ones. Along with this, we adapt the processing procedure to the current signal, as opposed to using the same method for all signals. With this method, we are able to find the heart rate of ambulatory subjects without any physical contact.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Akay M (1998) Time frequency and wavelets in biomedical signal processing. IEEE Press, Piscataway

  2. Bakhtiari S, Elmer TW, Cox NM, Gopalsami N, Raptis AC, Liao S, Mikhelson I, Sahakian AV (2012) Compact millimeter-wave sensor for remote monitoring of vital signs. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas 61(3):830–841 doi:10.1109/TIM.2011.2171589

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Droitcour AD (2006) Non-contact measurement of heart and respiration rates with a single-chip microwave doppler radar. PhD thesis, Stanford University

  4. Geisheimer J, Greneker III EF (2001) A non-contact lie detector using radar vital signs monitor (RVSM) technology. IEEE Aerosp Electron Syst Mag 16(8):10–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Jianqi W, Chongxun Z, Guohua L, Xijing J (2007) A new method for identifying the life parameters via radar. EURASIP J Appl Signal Process 2007(1):16–16

    Google Scholar 

  6. Lin JC (1992) Microwave sensing of physiological movement and volume change: a review. Bioelectromagnetics 13(6):557–565

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lubecke VM, Boric-Lubecke O, Host-Madsen A, Fathy AE (2007) Through-the-wall radar life detection and monitoring. In: Microwave Symposium. IEEE/MTT-S International, pp 769–772. IEEE

  8. Lubecke OB, Ong PW, Lubecke VM (2002) 10 GHz Doppler radar sensing of respiration and heart movement. In: Bioengineering Conference, 2002. Proceedings of the IEEE 28th Annual Northeast, pp 55–56. IEEE

  9. MATLAB: version 7.10.0 (2010) The MathWorks Inc., Natick, Massachusetts

  10. Mikhelson IV, Bakhtiari S, Elmer II TW, Sahakian AV (2011) Remote sensing of heart rate and patterns of respiration on a stationary subject using 94-GHz millimeter-wave interferometry. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 58(6):1671–1677. doi:10.1109/TBME.2011.2111371

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Morgan DR, Zierdt MG (2009) Novel signal processing techniques for doppler radar cardiopulmonary sensing. Signal Process 89(1):45–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Obeid D, Sadek S, Zaharia G, Zein GE (2009) Noncontact heartbeat detection at 2.4, 5.8, and 60 GHz: a comparative study. Microw Opt Technol Lett 51(3):666–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pan J, Tompkins WJ (1985) A real-time QRS detection algorithm. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 3:230–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Petkie DT, Benton C, Bryan E (2009) Millimeter wave radar for remote measurement of vital signs. In: Radar Conference, 2009 IEEE, pp 1–3. IEEE

  15. Poor HV (1994) An introduction to signal detection and estimation. Springer, Berlin

  16. Rioul, O, Vetterli, M (1991) Wavelets and signal processing. IEEE Signal Process Mag 8(4):14–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Uenoyama M, Matsui T, Yamada K, Suzuki S, Takase B, Suzuki S, Ishihara M, Kawakami M (2006) Non-contact respiratory monitoring system using a ceiling-attached microwave antenna. Med Biol Eng Comput 44(9):835–840

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Ilya V. Mikhelson

  2. Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, 60439, USA

    Sasan Bakhtiari & Thomas W. Elmer II

  3. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science/Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Alan V. Sahakian

Authors
  1. Ilya V. Mikhelson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sasan Bakhtiari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Thomas W. Elmer II
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alan V. Sahakian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alan V. Sahakian.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mikhelson, I.V., Bakhtiari, S., Elmer, T.W. et al. Remote sensing of patterns of cardiac activity on an ambulatory subject using millimeter-wave interferometry and statistical methods. Med Biol Eng Comput 51, 135–142 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-012-0977-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-012-0977-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation