Fiber-optic sensor for monitoring respiration and cardiac activity

This article shows the design of a fiber-based sensor for living activities in human body and the results of laboratory evaluation carried out on it. The authors have developed a device that allows for monitoring the vibrations of human body evoked by living activities - breathing and cardiac rhythm. The device consists of a Bragg grating inscribed into a single-mode optical fiber and operating on a wavelength of around 1550 nm. The fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is mounted inside a pneumatic cushion to be placed between the backrest of the seat and the back of the monitored person. Deformations of the cushion, involving deformations of the FBG, are proportional to the vibrations of the body leaning on the cushion. Laboratory studies have shown that the sensor allows for obtaining dynamic strains on the sensing FBG in the range of 16.5-24.8 μstrain caused by breathing and approx. 8.3 μstrain induced by heartbeat, which are fully measurable by today's FBG interrogation systems.