There is provided a method and apparatus for determining respiratory information for a subject. One or more physiological signals indicative of at least one physiological characteristic of the subject is acquired (202) and contextual information relating to at least one of the subject and the one or more physiological signals is obtained (204). Based on the contextual information, at least one signal processing algorithm for each of the one or more physiological signals is selected (206), the at least one signal processing algorithm being adapted to determine respiratory information. Respiratory information for the subject is determined based on the one or more physiological signals using the at least one signal processing algorithm selected for the one or more physiological signals (208).

It is described a system and a method for respiratory activity analysis comprising the use of Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography (RIP). In particular, a wearable system for extracting physiological parameters of a person by measuring at least one plethysmographic signal is disclosed. The system comprises: a wearable garment fitting a body part of the person; at least one wire supported by or embedded into the garment, each wire forming a loop around the body part when the person wears the garment for measuring a plethysmographic signal; and an electronic device supported by or fixed on the garment and including a Colpitts oscillator connected to each wire loop, wherein the Colpitts oscillator has an optimal frequency band from 1 MHz to 15 MHz for extracting the plethysmographic signal measured by each wire, the electronic device converting analog information measured by the Colpitts oscillator into digital analyzable information.

A system and method for monitoring respiration of a user, comprising: a respiration sensing module including a sensor configured to detect a set of respiration signals of the user based upon movement resulting from the user's respiration; a supplementary sensing module comprising an accelerometer and configured to detect a set of supplemental signals from the user; an electronics subsystem comprising a power module configured to power the system and a signal processing module configured to condition the set of respiration signals and the set of supplemental signals; a housing configured to facilitate coupling of the respiration sensing module and the supplementary sensing module to the user; and a data link coupled to the electronics subsystem through the housing and configured to transmit data generated from the set of respiration signals and the set of supplemental signals, thereby facilitating monitoring of the user's respiration.

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for monitoring the motion, breathing, heart rate of humans in a convenient and low-cost fashion, and for deriving and displaying useful measurements of cardiorespiratory performance from the measured signals. The motion, breathing, and heart rate signals are obtained through a processing applied to a raw signal obtained in a non-contact fashion, typically using a radio-frequency sensor. Processing into separate cardiac and respiratory components is described. The heart rate can be determined by using either spectral or time-domain processing. The respiratory rate can be calculated using spectral analysis. The sensor, processing, and display can be incorporated in a single device which can be worn or held close to the body while exercising, or alternately placed in a fixed piece of exercise equipment at some distance form the body, and may also be integrated with other sensors, such as position locators.

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for monitoring the motion, breathing, heart rate of humans in a convenient and low-cost fashion, and for deriving and displaying useful measurements of cardiorespiratory performance from the measured signals. The motion, breathing, and heart rate signals are obtained through a processing applied to a raw signal obtained in a non-contact fashion, typically using a radio-frequency sensor. Processing into separate cardiac and respiratory components is described. The heart rate can be determined by using either spectral or time-domain processing. The respiratory rate can be calculated using spectral analysis. The sensor, processing, and display can be incorporated in a single device which can be worn or held close to the body while exercising, or alternately placed in a fixed piece of exercise equipment at some distance form the body, and may also be integrated with other sensors, such as position locators.

The reliability of calculated bio-information of a subject is determined. When the reliability of the bio-information is determined to be high, the bio-information is output, whereas when the reliability of the bio-information is determined to be low, the bio-information is not output. Thus, among the calculated bio-information, only the bio-information of high reliability may be output, or distinctive display may be performed depending on the reliability, whereby it is possible to provide a bio-information output device and the like capable of easily determining bio-information of high reliability.

The reliability of calculated bio-information of a subject is determined. When the reliability of the bio-information is determined to be high, the bio-information is output, whereas when the reliability of the bio-information is determined to be low, the bio-information is not output. Thus, among the calculated bio-information, only the bio-information of high reliability may be output, or distinctive display may be performed depending on the reliability, whereby it is possible to provide a bio-information output device and the like capable of easily determining bio-information of high reliability.

Systems and methods for use in monitoring one or more physiological parameters of a user. The system comprises: at least one sensing unit comprising at least one vibration sensor; and at least one elastic tube configured to be embedded within a cushioning layer for supporting at least a portion of the user. One end of the at least one tube is sealed and the other end of the at least one tube is closed by the at least one sensing unit so as to form a volume that is filled with fluid and that is defined by one or more inner walls of the tube and a surface of the at least one sensing unit. The at least one elastic tube is configured to transmit vibrations from one or more sections of the at least one tube to the at least one sensing unit for detection by the at least one vibration sensor.

The present invention relates to an integrated sleep diagnosis and treatment device, and more particularly to an integrated apnea diagnosis and treatment device. The present invention additionally relates to methods of sleep diagnosis and treatment. The sleep disorder treatment system of the present invention can use a diagnosis device to perform various forms of analysis to determine or diagnose a subject's sleeping disorder or symptoms of a subject's sleep disorder, and using this analysis or diagnosis can with or in some embodiments without human intervention treat the subject either physically or chemically to improve the sleeping disorder or the symptoms of the sleeping disorder. The diagnostic part of the system can use many different types of sensors and methods for diagnosing the severity of the symptoms of or the sleep disorder itself. The treatment part of the system can use a device to physically or chemically treat the subject's symptoms or sleep disorder itself.

A method of monitoring respiration with an acoustic measurement device, the acoustic measurement device having a sound transducer, the sound transducer configured to measure sound associated with airflow through a mammalian trachea, the method includes correlating the measured sound into a measurement of tidal volume and generating at least one from the group consisting of an alert and an alarm if the measured tidal volume falls outside of a predetermined range.