FBG-based smart bed system for healthcare applications

Abstract

This paper presents a smart fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor system with an unobtrusive and easy-to-use FBG sensor bed, which automatically monitors the behavior of bedridden patients and their vital signs based on indicative spatio-temporal signature for adaptive intervention triggering and activity planning. We present the subtle design, fabrication, calibration, implementation and deployment issues of the FBG pressure sensors to be used in hospitals or nursing homes to prevent bedsore generation, patient falling out of the bed, and lifethreatening situations such as patient's heart rate weakening, breathing pattern change, etc. Through trials conducted in the laboratory for respiratory rate monitoring with a sample group of 10 subjects, the system showed maximum error of AE 1 breaths per minute as compared to manual counting.

Review of fiber-optic pressure sensors for biomedical and biomechanical applications

“…208 Same concept was extended to knee-socket interfaces to sense pressure in amputees. 209,210 The possibility of using FOS to create smart systems and provide feedback about a patient's condition was also explored by Hao et al 211 Bed surface mounted FBG arrays were proposed to monitor several clinical signals; namely, body pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, and body temperature. Security alerts to prevent patients from maintaining prolonged static positions or falling out of the bed were also addressed.…”

“…Temperature sensor consisted of a FBG (10 mm length) isolated from strain by insertion into a glass/copper tube, which ends were encapsulated with a resin/epoxy system. 211 Pressure mats are often used in biomechanical studies; namely, to analyze foot pressure distribution in static postures or dynamic activities, such as gait, jumping, running, or load carrying. This assessment has particular importance in diabetic insensitive feet because excessive pressure can lead to their ulceration, necrosis, and subsequent amputation.…”

Optical Fiber Gratings in Perspective of Their Applications in Biomedicine

“…The concept of a smart bed is under investigation in Singapore (Hao et al 2010). A series of 12 FBG sensors underneath the patient's mattress with suitable algorithm give pressure profile and respiratory rate of the patient while another set of gratings placed on top of the mattress detect heart rate.…”

Influence on Calculated Blood Pressure of Measurement Posture for the Development of Wearable Vital Sign Sensors

“…Tam et al or Wei et al presented fiber Bragg grating sensors for structural and railway applications [6][7][8]. In addition, vital signs measurement using the FBG has been previously reported [9][10][11]. The use of an optical fiber leads to a wearable sensor that is suitably compact, flexible, and lightweight.…”