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News
No wires, no patches — just radar. Researchers have refined contactless radar technology to measure not just breathing rate, but detailed respiratory metrics like inspiratory and expiratory timing, with accuracy rivaling standard contact-based monitors. The advance could be a game-changer for patients who can't wear traditional sensors, like burn victims or those in palliative care.
No wires, no patches — just radar
Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany have taken contactless radar monitoring a significant step forward, demonstrating that a 24-GHz continuous-wave radar system can accurately capture detailed respiratory metrics — not just breathing rate — with accuracy comparable to standard contact-based impedance pneumography. The team used six-port interferometry and a novel "ellipse reconstruction" calibration technique to correct signal distortions, enabling submillimeter-precision chest-wall motion tracking.
The system isolates four clinically meaningful breathing metrics: inspiratory time, expiratory time, respiratory rate, and the inspiratory-to-expiratory (I:E) ratio — providing a far richer picture of respiratory health than previous radar tools.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: For patients who can't tolerate wearable sensors — burn victims, neonates, palliative care patients, or older adults at home — a through-clothing, no-touch monitoring system could dramatically improve continuous care. Researchers are already planning under-the-mattress radar systems for real-world clinical validation.
