Bioinspired Stretchable Transducer for Wearable Continuous Monitoring of Respiratory Patterns in Humans and Animals

We report a bio-inspired continuous wearable respiration sensor modeled after the lateral line system of fish which is used by the fish for detecting mechanical disturbances in the water. Despite the clinical importance of monitoring respiratory activity in humans and animals, continuous measurements of breathing patterns and rates are rarely performed in or outside of clinics. This is largely due to conventional sensors being too inconvenient or expensive for wearable sensing for most individuals and animals. The bio-inspired air-silicone composite transducer is placed on the chest and measures respiratory activity by continuously measuring the force applied to an air channel embedded inside a silicone-based elastomeric material. The force applied on the surface of the transducer during breathing changes the air pressure inside the channel which is measured using a commercial pressure sensor and mixed-signal wireless electronics. We extensively characterized the transducer produced in this work and tested it with humans, dogs, and laboratory rats. The bio-inspired air-silicone composite transducer may enable the early detection of a range of disorders that result in altered patterns of respiration. The technology reported can also be combined with artificial intelligence and cloud computing to algorithmically detect illness in humans and animals remotely, reducing unnecessary visits to clinics.