Application of non-contact sensors for health monitoring in hospitals: a narrative review

Abstract

The continuous monitoring of the health status of patients is essential for the effective monitoring of disease progression and the management of symptoms. Recently, health monitoring using non-contact sensors has gained interest. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the use of non-contact sensors for health monitoring in hospital settings and evaluate their potential clinical applications. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed to identify relevant studies published up to February 26, 2024. The search terms included “hospital,” “monitoring,” “sensor,” and “non-contact.” Studies that used non-contact sensors to monitor health status in hospital settings were included in this review. Of the 38 search results, five studies met the inclusion criteria. The non-contact sensors described in the studies were radar, infrared, and microwave sensors. These non-contact sensors were used to obtain vital signs, such as respiratory rate, heart rate, and body temperature, and were then compared with the results from conventional measurement methods (polysomnography, nursing records, and electrocardiography). In all the included studies, non-contact sensors demonstrated a performance similar to that of conventional health-related parameter measurement methods. Non-contact sensors are expected to be a promising solution for health monitoring in hospital settings.