FBG-Based Respiration Rate Sensing With Arduino Interface

Psychophysiological measurement can be very crucial in critical conditions faced in aviation, military, hospitals, etc. Respiration rate is one of the primary parameters to determine the psychophysiological condition of a person. An effective respiration rate measurement system is developed using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), and a comparison of its response with an electronic sensor is carried out in this paper. An edge filter detection technique is employed to interrogate the optical sensing data. Arduino Uno is used for acquiring data from both electronic and optical sensors simultaneously. Both the electronic and optical sensors are fitted inside the same PVC mask, and their responses are compared. The experiment is carried out on five subjects, and every time it is found, that optical sensor is much more reliable and responsive. Optical sensor has better rise and decay constants for instantaneous temperature sensing making it a superior candidate to diagnose various respiration abnormalities. Respiration rate calculation is also carried out during coughing and headshaking. In the events of coughing, response of the optical sensor is much more prominent as compared to the electronic sensor. However, respiration rate calculation remains unaffected and reliable.