Sensor-enhanced vest monitors lung function

摘要

A vest loaded with acoustic sensors that can be used to monitor the condition of people suffering from severe respiratory or lung conditions is being developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) in Berlin, Germany. Piezoceramic acoustic sensors are incorporated into the front and back of the vest - called Pneumo.Vest - where they register any noises produced by the lungs in the thorax. Software records the signals and amplifies them electronically, and creates a visual representation of the lungs on a display. Using the software, it is possible, for example, to filter-out heartbeats or to amplify characteristic frequency ranges, making lung sounds, such as rustling or wheezing, much easier to hear.