Respiration rate monitoring systems

Respiration rate monitoring systems incorporated into shirts and bed sheets... 

Figure 1.7. Large-area electronic fabrics and health monitoring systems for soldiers and personnel employed in high-risk field operations, (a) Operation of a personnel health monitoring system, (b) Example of a vest with integrated sensors for monitoring body temperature, respiration rate, and other bodily parameters.

The SCEM system should act like an intensive care monitor in a hospital. To use an intensive care monitor, the doctor places probes at strategic points on the patient s body each measures a discrete and different function - temperature, respiration rate, blood pressure. The monitor is programmed with separate upper and lower control limits for each probe and for each patient. If any of the watched bodily functions go above or below the defined tolerance, the monitor sets off an alarm to the doctor for immediate follow-up and corrective action. The SCEM application should act in the same manner. 

The effect of rifaximin on cardiovascular (CY) and respiratory systems was investigated in anesthetized rats and guinea pigs, respectively [59]. Rifaximin was given intraduodenally at doses up to 100 mg/kg and carotid pressure and flow as well as heart rate were continuously measured in rats while respiration amplitude and frequency were monitored in guinea pigs. The rifamycin derivative did not affect any of the measured parameters at any time after its administration. 

Intensive care aims at the replacement or support of deficient central functions. Important functions are respiration and a sufficient cardiac and circulation function. Monitoring the gas exchange in intensive care especially of ventilated patients requires, in addition to gas analysis at several measuring sites in the body, information on the heart function, eg, heart rate, on the pressure of the circulation system, eg, arterial pressure, and on the actual utilization of the available amount of oxygen. With regard to the methods required to achieve information that is as complete as possible, the clinical task consists in the determination of gas concentrations or partial pressures in the gas phase of the lung, airways, and equipment hoses, in the transportation system of the blood, and in the tissue. In recent years there has been an increasing importance of non-invasive methods, as invasive procedures are combined with risk and additional stress for the patient. 

Another class of WBSs measures the physical vital traits such as heart rate, respiration, body temperature, blood pressure, and so on. With the advances in fabrication techniques, these WBSs are highly capable of continuous and real-time measurement and monitoring. Integrated with telemedical systems, these devices allow the health care providers to track the health status and provide health advice to their patients. Fast response as emergency service could be triggered for any life-threatening changes in patient s vital traits. 

Simultaneous direct and indirect calorimetry was applied to monitor decreased oxygen concentrations in combination with hydrogen sulphide contaminations of freshwater on two annelides, Limnodrilus hoffineisteri and Tubifex tubifex [175,176], Such combined adverse conditions are typical for polluted lakes and rivers with high organic load. Complete anoxia reduced the normoxic heat production rates (0.83 and 0.56 mW/g for L hoffineisteri and T. tubifex, resp.) to less than one fourth. Presence of 100 pmol/l H2S depressed the heat dissipation in L hoffineisteri at each oxygen level, mainly due to the strict inhibition of aerobic respiration. In contrast, heat dissipation increased in T. tubifex (up to 170 %) because of its detoxification system which protects respiration. 

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