Electromagnetically transparent conductive materials, in particular nanomaterials, are used in a sensor along with piezoelectric materials to detect the motion of a subject to provide respiratory and cardiac gating for imaging techniques such as MRI, CT scans and PET.

A method for treating chest wall injuries, including rib fractures, flail chest injuries or surgical incisions. The method comprising creating a localized airtight compartment external to the chest wall and fully covering the area of injury, varying the pressure within the compartment, and providing dynamic real-time counter forces that act reciprocal to the intrathoracic pressure changes that occur during ventilation. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus has the capability of sensing the patient's chest wall motion created by ventilation, a pressure control component capable of varying the pressure within the airtight compartment such that it opposes pressure changes within the chest. The apparatus would be particularly useful in preventing the paradoxical movement of flail chest injuries. The method would also lessen pain experienced by patients with thoracic injuries such as rib fractures and post operative suffering.

There is provided a biological state monitoring system for monitoring biological state of subject on a bed. The system includes at least one load detector and a controller. In a case that the controller determines that body motion is not twitch, the controller ceases to output estimated value of respiratory rate, or outputs first estimated value which is the latest among estimated values obtained in first period, the first period being directly preceding body motion and being determined by the controller to be a period in which subject has no body motion. In a case that the controller determines that body motion is twitch, the controller successively outputs newly obtained estimated values of respiratory rate.

There is provided a biological state monitoring system for monitoring biological state of subject on a bed. The system includes at least one load detector and a controller. In a case that the controller determines that body motion is not twitch, the controller ceases to output estimated value of respiratory rate, or outputs first estimated value which is the latest among estimated values obtained in first period, the first period being directly preceding body motion and being determined by the controller to be a period in which subject has no body motion. In a case that the controller determines that body motion is twitch, the controller successively outputs newly obtained estimated values of respiratory rate.

An example wearable respiratory motion sensor system includes a plurality of inertial measurement units (IMUs) to be positioned on a subject and generate accelerometer and gyroscope signals. The wearable respiratory motion sensor system also includes a processor to compute three-dimensional displacements of a rib cage and an abdomen of the subject based on the generated accelerometer and gyroscope signals.

An MR imaging method with an imaging workflow is provided. Within the scope of the MR imaging method, at least one breath-holding command is output to a patient. An MR imaging is performed with an MR imaging method that may be used with free breathing. A breathing movement of the patient is detected based on measured data acquired when performing the MR imaging method. A time relationship is determined between the breathing movement of the patient and the breath-holding command. The imaging workflow is modified as a function of the determined time relationship. A breathing monitoring device and a magnetic resonance imaging system are also provided.

An MR imaging method with an imaging workflow is provided. Within the scope of the MR imaging method, at least one breath-holding command is output to a patient. An MR imaging is performed with an MR imaging method that may be used with free breathing. A breathing movement of the patient is detected based on measured data acquired when performing the MR imaging method. A time relationship is determined between the breathing movement of the patient and the breath-holding command. The imaging workflow is modified as a function of the determined time relationship. A breathing monitoring device and a magnetic resonance imaging system are also provided.

A system for monitoring biosignals of a user, including an attachment module configured to secure the system at an inner surface of a garment of the user; a flexible layer coupled to the attachment module, wherein the flexible layer and the attachment module cooperatively define a housing lumen; an electronics subsystem arranged within the housing lumen, the electronics subsystem including a first sensor, wherein the first sensor outputs a first signal; a respiratory sensor, wherein the respiratory sensor outputs a respiration signal, and a processing module that receives the first signal, the respiration signal, and the proximity signal, and generates a processed biometric output based on the first signal and the respiration signals.

A system for monitoring biosignals of a user, including an attachment module configured to secure the system at an inner surface of a garment of the user; a flexible layer coupled to the attachment module, wherein the flexible layer and the attachment module cooperatively define a housing lumen; an electronics subsystem arranged within the housing lumen, the electronics subsystem including a first sensor, wherein the first sensor outputs a first signal; a respiratory sensor, wherein the respiratory sensor outputs a respiration signal, and a processing module that receives the first signal, the respiration signal, and the proximity signal, and generates a processed biometric output based on the first signal and the respiration signals.

A method of identifying respiratory anomalies includes obtaining respiratory data over a first time period and a second time period that is different than the first time period, identifying at least one type of sound associated with respiration in the respiratory data over the first time period, identifying the at least one type of sound associated with respiration in the respiratory data over the second time period, and identifying abnormal respiration based on a comparison of the at least one type of sound associated with respiration in the respiratory data over the first time period to the at least one type of sound associated with respiration in the respiratory data over the second time period. The at least one type of sound associated with respiration in the respiratory data over the first time period is identified using a first set of features generated by a first processing method.