Analog Devices at embedded world 2023

The device is no bigger than the palm of your hand and yet can accurately monitor vital signs such as breathing rate, heart rate, and pulse – all whilst making zero contact with the patient.

How it works

The device is slotted underneath the mattress of the patient or person in question, from which is ses the subtle low-frequency noise and vibrations generated by things such as the blood pumping through your veins to measure multiple different vital signs.

The contactless method is hoped to be far more convenient for not only the one being monitored, but also the people monitoring, whether it be doctors/nurses at a hospital, carers in elderly homes, or home care/self-use. Additionally, the lack of any contact means the product is far less intrusive in day-to-day life.

Accuracy

The main concern over these kinds of contactless devices is the accuracy of the presented readings. Analog is more than aware of this: “The good news from last time we presented this demo is that we recently went through our validation study, two sleep studies, and it looks like we will have very good accuracy reports in the coming months,” says Gutierrez.

Gutierrez also made it clear that concerns over the size of the mattress are more than addressable. Due to the nature of the device and the type of frequencies it is measuring, even thick mattresses wouldn’t hamper the device’s monitoring capabilities. The low frequencies being picked up typically disperse evenly between the whole structure meaning that in theory, even at the base of the frame of the bed, some vitals could be picked up.

Looking to the Future

Gutierrez also explained that the team at Analog are exploring potential options for wireless-based monitoring solutions, which means that a patient or individual can be monitored from different locations other than just within the immediate monitoring environment.