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Fiber optical monitor for detecting normal breathing and heartbeat motion based on changes in speckle patterns

  • US 5,291,013 A
  • Filed: 11/13/1992
  • Issued: 03/01/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A fiber optic body motion monitor comprising:

  • a light source;

    an optical fiber waveguide including an input end, an output end, and a sensing section intermediate said input and output ends, said optical fiber being positioned to receive light from said light source at said input end;

    movable means for transmitting motion of a body being monitored, said sensing section being coupled to said movable means so as to move therewith;

    photodetector means positioned proximate to said output end for receiving a speckle pattern of light therefrom, which pattern changes in response to movement of said sensing section, said photodetector means generating electrical signals representative of changes in said speckle pattern; and

    means for identifying electrical signals indicative of normal breathing and heartbeat motion and for differentiating them from electrical signals indicative of deviations from normal breathing and heartbeat motion, comprising,power determination means for producing a power signal indicative of an amount of power in a frequency band relevant to breathing and heartbeat in the signals generated by said photodetector means,breathing extraction means coupled to said power determination means for extracting from said power signal signals indicative of breathing of said body and outputting a signal indicative of the breathing of said body,heartbeat extraction means coupled to said power determination means for extracting from said power signal signals indicative of heartbeat of said body and outputting a signal indicative of the heartbeat of said body, andindicating means for producing at least one of a display indicative of at least one of the extracted breathing signals and the extracted heartbeat signals and an alarm when at least one of the extracted breathing signals and extracted heartbeat signals is indicative of a deviation from normal breathing and heartbeat motion, respectively.

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