We discovered that impulse-radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar could recognize cardiac motions in a non-contact fashion. Therefore, we measured the heart rate (HR) and rhythms using an IR-UWB radar sensor and evaluated the validity and reliability of the measurements in comparison to electrocardiography. The heart beats were measured in 6 healthy volunteers (18 samples) with normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and 16 patients (36 samples) with atrial fibrillation (AF) using both an IR-UWB radar sensor and electrocardiography simultaneously. The participants hold their breath for 20 seconds during the data acquisition. In subjects with NSR, there was excellent agreement of HR (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.856), average R-R interval (ICC 0.997) and individual R-R intervals between the two methods (ICC 0.803). In subjects with AF, HR (ICC 0.871) and average R-R interval (ICC 0.925) from the radar sensor also agreed well with those from electrocardiography, though there was a small disagreement in the individual R-R intervals between the two methods (ICC 0.697). The rhythms computed by the signal-processing algorithm showed good agreement between the two methods (Cohen’s Kappa 0.922). The IR-UWB radar sensor is precise and accurate for assessing HR and rhythms in a non-contact fashion.

Vital sign monitoring in neonates requires adhesive electrodes, which often damage fragile newborn skin. Because impulse radio ultrawideband (IR-UWB) radar has been reported to recognize chest movement without contact in adult humans, IR-UWB may be used to measure respiratory rates (RRs) in a non-contact fashion. We investigated the feasibility of radar sensors for respiration monitoring in neonates without any respiratory support to compare the accuracy and reliability of radar measurements with those of conventional impedance pneumography measurements. In the neonatal intensive care unit, RRs were measured using radar (RR _Rd ) and impedance pneumography (RR _IP ) simultaneously. The neonatal voluntary movements were measured using the radar sensor and categorized into three levels (low [M ₀ ], intermediate [M ₁ ] and high [M ₂ ]). RR _Rd highly agreed with RR _IP ( r = 0.90; intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.846 [0.835–0.856]). For the M ₀ movement, there was good agreement between RR _Rd and RR _IP (ICC = 0.893; mean bias −0.15 [limits of agreement (LOA) −9.6 to 10.0]). However, the agreement was slightly lower for the M ₁ (ICC = 0.833; mean bias = 0.95 [LOA −11.4 to 13.3]) and M ₂ (ICC = 0.749; mean bias = 3.04 [LOA –9.30 to 15.4]) movements than for the M ₀ movement. In conclusion, IR-UWB radar can provide accurate and reliable estimates of RR in neonates in a non-contact fashion. The performance of radar measurements could be affected by neonate movement.

BACKGROUND: The RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI (Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravascular Imaging Guidance Versus Angiography-Guidance on Clinical Outcomes After Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) demonstrated that intravascular imaging–guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improved clinical outcome compared with angiography-guided PCI for patients with complex coronary artery lesions. This study aims to assess whether the prognostic benefit of intravascular imaging–guided procedural optimization persists in patients undergoing PCI for left main coronary artery disease. METHODS: Of 1639 patients enrolled in the RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI, 192 patients with left main coronary artery disease were selected for the current prespecified substudy. Selected patients were randomly assigned to either the intravascular imaging–guided PCI group (n=138) or the angiography-guided PCI group (n=54). The primary end point was target vessel failure defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel–related myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 2.1 years (interquartile range 1.1 to 3.0 years), intravascular imaging–guided PCI was associated with lower incidence of primary end point compared with angiography-guided PCI (6.8% versus 25.1%; hazard ratio, 0.31 [95% CI, 0.13–0.76]; P =0.010). This significant reduction in primary end point was mainly driven by a lower risk of cardiac death or spontaneous target vessel–related myocardial infarction (1.6% versus 12.7%; hazard ratio, 0.16 [95% CI, 0.03–0.82]; P =0.028). Intravascular imaging–guided PCI was independently associated with a lower risk of primary end point, even after adjusting for various clinical factors (hazard ratio, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.12–0.72]; P =0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Intravascular imaging–guided PCI showed clinical benefit over angiography-guided PCI for left main coronary artery disease in reducing the risk of cardiac death, target vessel–related myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03381872.

Textiles integrated with electronics and long-range (LoRa) wireless technology are revolutionizing e-healthcare by enabling remote patient monitoring through wireless body area networks. This article presents a smart textile-based LoRa technology system for monitoring heart rate and predicting body temperature over both short and long distances. The system incorporates a LoRa module integrated with a smart textile, featuring sensors for photoplethysmography, electrocardiography, and body temperature monitoring. An embroidered monopole antenna seamlessly integrates into clothing, offering triple-band wideband operation at 433, 610, and 915 MHz with minimal susceptibility to human body effects and structural deformations. The proposed wearable antenna, assessed through specific absorption rate analysis, exhibits minimal exposure to electromagnetic radiation, ensuring user safety. The smart textile LoRa-enabled healthcare application (STLHA) monitors the received signal strength indicator, heart rate, and temperature data. Experimental results demonstrate effective outdoor communication ranges of up to 250 m at 915 MHz and 350 m at 433 MHz, with indoor ranges of up to 50 m. The STLHA offers a wireless solution for wearable devices, which enhances their functionality and usability in e-healthcare applications.

Recently, noncontact vital sign monitors have attracted attention because of issues related to the transmission of contagious diseases. We developed a real-time vital sign monitor using impulse-radio ultrawideband (IR-UWB) radar with embedded processors and software; we then evaluated its accuracy in measuring heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) and investigated the factors affecting the accuracy of the radar-based measurements. In 50 patients visiting a cardiology clinic, HR and RR were measured using IR-UWB radar simultaneously with electrocardiography and capnometry. All patients underwent HR and RR measurements in 2 postures—supine and sitting—for 2 min each. There was a high agreement between the RR measured using radar and capnometry (concordance correlation coefficient [CCC] 0.925 [0.919–0.926]; upper and lower limits of agreement [LOA], − 2.21 and 3.90 breaths/min). The HR measured using radar was also in close agreement with the value measured using electrocardiography (CCC 0.749 [0.738–0.760]; upper and lower LOA, − 12.78 and 15.04 beats/min). Linear mixed effect models showed that the sitting position and an HR < 70 bpm were associated with an increase in the absolute biases of the HR, whereas the sitting position and an RR < 18 breaths/min were associated with an increase in the absolute biases of the RR. The IR-UWB radar sensor with embedded processors and software can measure the RR and HR in real time with high precision. The sitting position and a low RR or HR were associated with the accuracy of RR and HR measurement, respectively, using IR-UWB radar.

There has been the possibility for respiration and carotid pulsation to be simultaneously monitored from a distance using impulse-radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar. Therefore, we investigated the validity of simultaneous respiratory rates (RR), pulse rates (PR) and R-R interval measurement using IR-UWB radar. We included 19 patients with a normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and 14 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF). The RR, PR, R-R interval and rhythm were obtained simultaneously from the right carotid artery area in a supine position and under normal breathing conditions using IR-UWB radar. There was excellent agreement between the RR obtained by IR-UWB radar and that manually counted by a physician (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.852). In the NSR group, there was excellent agreement between the PR (ICC 0.985), average R-R interval (ICC 0.999), and individual R-R interval (ICC 0.910) measured by IR-UWB radar and electrocardiography. In the PeAF group, PR (ICC 0.930), average R-R interval (ICC 0.957) and individual R-R interval (ICC 0.701) also agreed well between the two methods. These results demonstrate that IR-UWB radar can simultaneously monitor respiration, carotid pulse and heart rhythm with high precision and may thus be utilized as a noncontact continuous vital sign monitoring in clinical practice.