A non-contact blood-pressure measuring device includes: an image acquiring section that acquires a skin image obtained by capturing skin of a user; a pulse-wave timing calculating section that calculates, as a pulse-wave timing, time information indicative of a time at which time-varying luminance in the skin image reaches a peak; a millimeter-wave acquiring section that acquires a signal of a radio wave reflected by the user; a heartbeat timing calculating section that calculates, as a heartbeat timing, time information indicative of a time at which a time-varying distance to the user obtained on the basis of the signal of the radio wave acquired by the millimeter-wave acquiring section reaches a peak; and a blood-pressure determining section that determines blood pressure of the user on the basis of a time difference between the pulse-wave timing and the heartbeat timing.

A piezoelectric sensor (10) having an elongated-sheet shape includes a piezoelectric layer (11) containing an elastomer and piezoelectric particles and electrode layers (12a and 12b) which are disposed with the piezoelectric layer (11) sandwiched between the electrode layers. In the piezoelectric sensor (10), a pressure sensing region (S) has a length of 500 mm or longer in a longitudinal direction thereof; the electrode layers (12a and 12b) contain an elastomer and flaky conductive materials and are capable of elongating by 10% or more in one direction of plane directions; and when a space between one end portion (A) and the other end portion (B) of the pressure sensing region (S) in the longitudinal direction is set as a measurement zone, an electrical resistance in the measurement zone in the electrode layers (12a and 12b) is 3,000 or lower, and the specific Expression (I) is satisfied.

A method and apparatus for monitoring a human or animal subject in a room using video imaging of the subject and analysis of the video image to detect and quantify movement of the subject and to derive an estimate of vital signs such as heart rate or breathing rate. The method includes techniques for de-correlating global intensity variations such as sunlight changes, compensating for noise, eliminating areas not of interest in the image, and quickly and automatically finding regions of interest for detecting subject movement and estimating vital signs. A logic machine is used for interpreting detected movement of the subject, and an artificial neural network is used to calculate a confidence measure for the vital signs estimates from signal quality indices. The confidence measure may be used with a normal density filter to output estimates of the vital signs.

A system and associated method is disclosed to monitor physiological activity of a subject. One or more sensors are positioned in or on a support, the support being adapted to receive the subject, at least a first one of the sensors being adapted to produce a first signal indicative of movement of the subject over time. Processing apparatus is adapted to identify first, second and third portions of the first signal. The first and third portions correspond to first and third time periods, respectively, during which the subject changes body position on the support. The second portion corresponds to a second time period, between the first and third time periods, during which substantially no change in body position of the subject on the support takes place.

A system and associated method is disclosed to monitor physiological activity of a subject. One or more sensors are positioned in or on a support, the support being adapted to receive the subject, at least a first one of the sensors being adapted to produce a first signal indicative of movement of the subject over time. Processing apparatus is adapted to identify first, second and third portions of the first signal. The first and third portions correspond to first and third time periods, respectively, during which the subject changes body position on the support. The second portion corresponds to a second time period, between the first and third time periods, during which substantially no change in body position of the subject on the support takes place.

A server computer includes a non-transitory data storage storing a plurality of control rule sets including a first control rule set and a second control rule set, an interface transmitting, over a network, the first control rule set in response to a signal from the multi-application-transceiver device such that loading of application specific settings of the first control rule set causes a first health monitoring application to be enabled on the multi-application-transceiver device, and a health data analyzer receiving, over the network, a processed signal from the multi-application-transceiver device, where the processed signal includes information relating to monitoring a heartbeat or breathing of the person, detection of sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) of the person, or detection of a concentration of macromolecules on the person. The health data analyzer performs an analysis on the processed signal, and communicates, over the network, results of the analysis to the multi-application-transceiver device.

Methods, apparatus and systems for detecting and monitoring vital signs and other periodic motions of an object are disclosed. In one example, a system for monitoring object motion in a venue is disclosed. The system comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and a vital sign estimator. The transmitter is located at a first position in the venue and configured for transmitting a wireless signal through a wireless multipath channel impacted by a pseudo-periodic motion of an object in the venue. The receiver is located at a second position in the venue and configured for: receiving the wireless signal through the wireless multipath channel impacted by the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the venue, and obtaining at least one time series of channel information (TSCI) of the wireless multipath channel based on the wireless signal. The vital sign estimator is configured for: determining that at least one portion of the at least one TSCI in a current sliding time window is associated with the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the venue, and computing a current characteristics related to the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the current sliding time window based on at least one of: the at least one portion of the at least one TSCI in the current sliding time window, at least one portion of the at least one TSCI in a past sliding time window, and a past characteristics related to the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the past sliding time window.

Methods, apparatus and systems for detecting and monitoring vital signs and other periodic motions of an object are disclosed. In one example, a system for monitoring object motion in a venue is disclosed. The system comprises a transmitter, a receiver, and a vital sign estimator. The transmitter is located at a first position in the venue and configured for transmitting a wireless signal through a wireless multipath channel impacted by a pseudo-periodic motion of an object in the venue. The receiver is located at a second position in the venue and configured for: receiving the wireless signal through the wireless multipath channel impacted by the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the venue, and obtaining at least one time series of channel information (TSCI) of the wireless multipath channel based on the wireless signal. The vital sign estimator is configured for: determining that at least one portion of the at least one TSCI in a current sliding time window is associated with the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the venue, and computing a current characteristics related to the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the current sliding time window based on at least one of: the at least one portion of the at least one TSCI in the current sliding time window, at least one portion of the at least one TSCI in a past sliding time window, and a past characteristics related to the pseudo-periodic motion of the object in the past sliding time window.

A system for monitoring medical conditions including pressure ulcers, pressure-induced ischemia and related medical conditions comprises at least one sensor adapted to detect one or more patient characteristic including at least position, orientation, temperature, acceleration, moisture, resistance, stress, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood oxygenation, a host for processing the data received from the sensors together with historical patient data to develop an assessment of patient condition and suggested course of treatment. In some embodiments, the system can further include a support surface having one or more sensors incorporated therein either in addition to sensors affixed to the patient or as an alternative thereof. The support surface is, in some embodiments, capable of responding to commands from the host for assisting in implementing a course of action for patient treatment. The sensor can include bi-axial or tri-axial accelerometers, as well as resistive, inductive, capactive, magnetic and other sensing devices, depending on whether the sensor is located on the patient or the support surface, and for what purpose.

An apparatus, system, and method monitors the motion, breathing, heart rate and sleep state of subjects, e.g., humans, in a convenient, non-invasive/non-contact, and low-cost fashion. More particularly, the motion, breathing, and heart rate signals are obtained through processing applied to a raw signal obtained in a non-contact fashion, typically using a radio-frequency sensor. Periods of sleep disturbed respiration, or central apnea can be detected through analysis of the respiratory signal. The mean heart rate, and derived information, such as the presence of cardiac arrhythmias can be determined from the cardiac signal. Motion estimates can be used to recognize disturbed sleep and periodic limb movements. The sleep state may be determined by applying a classifier model to the resulting streams of respiratory, cardiac and motion data. A means for display of the sleep state, respiratory, cardiac, and movement status may also be provided.