Breath-monitoring by means of Epidermal Temperature RFID Sensors

Human breathing reveals many information about the health status and its monitoring is a recognized powerful tool to support diagnosis of respiration deficits and even of cardiovascular pathologies. This paper proposes a wireless technology based on sensor-oriented Radiofrequency Identification skin antennas that is promising for a seamless and comfortable monitoring of the breath. Three different epidermal sensors in the form of shaped dipoles/loops suitable for placement onto the nose, the upper lips as well as on the chin are experimented. The measured physical parameter is the temperature of the air flux that is correlated to the inhalation and exhalation rhythm and depth. Twenty volunteers enrolled into a small experimental campaign were asked to produce both normal and anomalous breathing profiles. Results clearly demonstrate that the proposed RFID system is able to identify the occurrence of apnea events.