Wireless RF Vital Signal Sensor Using Autoregressive Spectral Estimation Method

This letter describes a compact and novel wireless vital signal sensor at 2.4 GHz that can detect heartbeat and respiration signals. The oscillator circuit incorporates a planar resonator, which functions as a series feedback element as well as a near-field radiator. The periodic movement of the body during aerobic exercise causes an input impedance variation of the radiator within the near-field range. This variation results in a corresponding change in the oscillation frequency, and this change has been utilized for detection of human vital signals. In addition, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter and power detector have been used to increase the system sensitivity and to transform the frequency variation into a voltage waveform. Also, the autoregressive spectral estimation method is applied to achieve precise vital sign detection. The experimental results show that the proposed sensor placed 20 mm away from a human body can detect the vital signals very accurately.