Methods and systems estimate cardio-respiratory parameter(s), such as from in-phase and quadrature channels. The channels may represent patient chest movement and may be generated with a sensor, such as a contactless sensor that may sense movement with radio-frequency signals. In the methods/systems, the in-phase and quadrature channels may be processed, such as in a processor(s), using relative demodulation to generate cardio-respiratory parameter estimate(s). Optionally, the processing produces a jerk signal that may be filtered for producing a heart rate estimate, such as from zero-crossings of the filtered signal. Optionally, the processing produces a chest velocity signal that may be filtered for producing a respiratory rate estimate, such as from zero-crossings of the filtered signal. Optionally, a respiratory volume, such as tidal volume, may be estimated from an intrapulmonary pressure signal generated by applying a function to a chest displacement signal where the function relates intrapulmonary pressure and chest displacement.

A method for measuring life parameters during sleep by a device including an accelerometer attached to the body of a sleeping subject. The method includes: (a) setting a hysteresis width having a maximum hysteresis value and a minimum hysteresis value; (b) reading, from the accelerometer, values of acceleration in three axes; (c) filtering the values of acceleration in each of the three axes with a band-pass filter to obtain filtered acceleration signals; (d) combining the filtered acceleration signals to obtain a signal level; (e) checking whether the signal level is higher than the current maximum hysteresis value and if so, setting the maximum hysteresis value to the signal level and setting the minimum hysteresis value to the maximum hysteresis value decreased by the hysteresis width; and (f) signaling a breath detection when detecting a transition from a falling edge to a raising edge.

A method for measuring life parameters during sleep by a device including an accelerometer attached to the body of a sleeping subject. The method includes: (a) setting a hysteresis width having a maximum hysteresis value and a minimum hysteresis value; (b) reading, from the accelerometer, values of acceleration in three axes; (c) filtering the values of acceleration in each of the three axes with a band-pass filter to obtain filtered acceleration signals; (d) combining the filtered acceleration signals to obtain a signal level; (e) checking whether the signal level is higher than the current maximum hysteresis value and if so, setting the maximum hysteresis value to the signal level and setting the minimum hysteresis value to the maximum hysteresis value decreased by the hysteresis width; and (f) signaling a breath detection when detecting a transition from a falling edge to a raising edge.

A method for monitoring a patient during his sleep, comprising: monitoring the thoracic breath of the patient; monitoring the abdominal breath of the patient; detecting a sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) event (102); in reaction to the detection of N such SAS events, N being an integer equal or larger than 1, performing an additional measurement (105) to detect an abnormal condition.

A method for monitoring a patient during his sleep, comprising: monitoring the thoracic breath of the patient; monitoring the abdominal breath of the patient; detecting a sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) event (102); in reaction to the detection of N such SAS events, N being an integer equal or larger than 1, performing an additional measurement (105) to detect an abnormal condition.

A signal-processing method comprises storing, in memory, a first initial signal generated by a first set of at least one three-axis accelerometer positioned in a thoracic position of an individual. A second initial signal, generated by a second set of at least one three-axis accelerometer in an abdominal position of the individual, is also stored in the memory. The second initial signal is synchronised with the first initial signal. The data of the first initial signal is processed to compute a first final vector, representing thoracic forces experienced by the first set of at least one three-axis accelerometer. The data of the second initial signal is processed to compute a second final vector, representing abdominal forces experienced by the second set of at least one three-axis accelerometer.

A non-invasive, wearable and portable medical device for evaluation and monitoring the heart condition for patients with congestive heart failure and a CHF management system is provided comprising a wearable textile-based device utilizing physiologic and biometric sensors, a Signal Acquisition Unit, and a monitoring system executing a suite of software algorithms to monitor and evaluate patients with CHF.

A buckle includes a main body connectable to a tongue attached to a seatbelt of a vehicle, a sensor disposed in the main body or in a support member that supports the main body, the sensor configured to produce a sensor output signal whose waveform changes in response to movement of an object situated in a seat of the vehicle, a detection unit configured to detect, from the sensor output signal produced by the sensor, vital-sign signal components indicative of a vital sign that is at least either respiration or pulse beat, a generation unit configured to evaluate reliability of the vital-sign signal components detected by the detection unit and to generate vital-sign information about the vital sign from a reliable one of the vital-sign signal components, and an output unit configured to output the vital-sign information generated by the generation unit.

A method of monitoring the status of a body of a person during sleep, said method comprising:—retaining in or adjacent the mouth or nose of said person an electronic detector which detects indications of the state of said body,—wirelessly transmitting a first data stream representing said indications to a data receiving means,—transmitting said first data stream from said data receiving means to a data processing means,—processing said first data stream within said data processing means to produce a second data stream representing said indications, or conclusion drawn from said indications, and—displaying a visual representation of said indications or conclusions.

A monitoring system includes a wearable patch device configured to be secured to a body of a patient, the wearable patch device comprising a patch body, a first discrete transducer associated with a first position of the patch body, a second discrete transducer associated with a second portion of the patch body, and a wireless transmitter, and electronics including one or more processors and one or more memory devices and configured to receive signals based on transducer readings of the first and second discrete transducers and determine an amount of blood flow through one or more valves of a heart of the patient based on the signals.