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The present work proposes the use of modern ICT technologies such as smartphones, NFCs, internet, and web technologies, to help patients in carrying out their therapies. The implemented system provides a calendar with a reminder of the assumptions, ensures the drug identification through NFC, allows remote assistance from healthcare staff and family members to check and manage the therapy in real-time. The system also provides centralized information on the patient's therapeutic situation, helpful in choosing new compatible therapies.
Die Schlafapnoe ist eine häufig auftretende Schlafstörung,
die unterschiedliche Auswirkungen auf unseren Alltag hat; so wurde z. B.
über eine Tagesschläfrigkeit von etwa 25 % der Patienten mit obstruktiver
Schlafapnoe (OSA) berichtet. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines
Systems, das eine nichtinvasive Erkennung der Schlafapnoe in häuslicher
Umgebung ermöglichen soll.
In recent decades, it can be observed that a steady increase in the volume of tourism is a stable trend. To offer travel opportunities to all groups, it is also necessary to prepare offers for people in need of long-term care or people with disabilities. One of the ways to improve accessibility could be digital technologies, which could help in planning as well as in carrying out trips. In the work presented, a study of barriers was first conducted, which led to selecting technologies for a test setup after analysis. The main focus was on a mobile app with travel information and 360° tours. The evaluation results showed that both technologies could increase accessibility, but some essential aspects (such as usability, completeness, relevance, etc.) need to be considered when implementing them.
Healthy sleep is required for sufficient restoration of the human body and brain. Therefore, in the case of sleep disorders, appropriate therapy should be applied timely, which requires a prompt diagnosis. Traditionally, a sleep diary is a part of diagnosis and therapy monitoring for some sleep disorders, such as cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia. To automatise sleep monitoring and make it more comfortable for users, substituting a sleep diary with a smartwatch measurement could be considered. With the aim of providing accurate results, a study with a total of 30 night recordings was conducted. Objective sleep measurement with a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 was compared with a subjective approach (sleep diary), evaluating the four relevant sleep characteristics: time of getting asleep, wake up time, sleep efficiency (SE), and total sleep time (TST). The performed analysis has demonstrated that the median difference between both measurement approaches was equal to 7 and 3 minutes for a time of getting asleep and wake up time correspondingly, which allows substituting a subjective measurement with a smartwatch. The SE was determined with a median difference between the two measurement methods of 5.22%. This result also implicates a possibility of substitution. Some single recordings have indicated a higher variance between the two approaches. Therefore, the conclusion can be made that a substitution provides reliable results primarily in the case of long-term monitoring. The results of the evaluation of the TST measurement do not allow to recommend substitution of the measurement method.
The exposure to the light has a great influence on human beings in their everyday life. Various lighting sources produce light that reaches the human eye and influences a rhythmic release of melatonin hormone, that is a sleep promoting factor.
Since the development of new technologies provides more control over illuminance, this work uses an IoT based lighting system to set up dim and bright scenarios. A small study has been performed on the influence of illuminance on sleep latency. The system consists of different light bulbs, sensors and a central bridge which are interconnected like a mesh network. Also, a mobile app has been developed, that allows to adjust the lighting in various rooms. With the help of a ferro-electret sensor, like applied in sleep monitoring systems, a subject’s sleep was monitored. The sensor is placed below the mattress and it collects data, which is stored and processed in a cloud or in other alternative locations.
The research was conducted on healthy young subjects after being previously exposed to the preconfigured illuminance for at least three hours before bedtime. The results indicate correlation between sleep onset latency and exposure to different illuminance before bedtime. In a dimmed environment, the subject fell asleep in average 28% faster compared to the brighter environment.
Identifikation von Schlaf- und Wachzuständen durch die Auswertung von Atem- und Bewegungssignalen
(2021)
The goal of the presented project is to develop the concept of home ehealth centers for barrier-free and cross-border telemedicine. AAL technologies are already present on the market but there is still a gap to close until they can be used for ordinary patient needs. The general idea needs to be accompanied by new services, which should be brought together in order to provide a full coverage of service for the users. Sleep and stress were chosen as predominant diseases for a detailed study within this project because of their widespread influence in the population. The executed scientific study of available home devices analyzing sleep has provided the necessary to select appropriate devices. The first choice for the project implementation is the device EMFIT QS+. This equipment provides a part of a complete system that a home telemedical hospital can provide at a level of precision and communication with internal and/or external health services.
The development of home health systems can provide continuous and user-friendly monitoring of key health parameters. This project aims to create a concept for such a system, implement it on a test basis, and evaluate it. Three health areas were selected for this purpose:
Sleep, Stress, and Rehabilitation. Appropriate devices were installed in the homes of test subjects and used by them for two weeks. Besides, relevant questionnaires were completed to obtain a complete picture. Finally, the implemented system was evaluated, and the results of the conducted study showed that home health systems have great potential. However, it is necessary to consider some points to increase the usability of the system and the motivation of the users. Among others, ease of use of the equipment is of extreme importance.
Accurate monitoring of a patient's heart rate is a key element in the medical observation and health monitoring. In particular, its importance extends to the identification of sleep-related disorders. Various methods have been established that involve sensor-based recording of physiological signals followed by automated examination and analysis. This study attempts to evaluate the efficacy of a non-invasive HR monitoring framework based on an accelerometer sensor specifically during sleep. To achieve this goal, the motion induced by thoracic movements during cardiac contractions is captured by a device installed under the mattress. Signal filtering techniques and heart rate estimation using the symlets6 wavelet are part of the implemented computational framework described in this article. Subsequent analysis indicates the potential applicability of this system in the prognostic domain, with an average error margin of approximately 3 beats per minute. The results obtained represent a promising advancement in non-invasive heart rate monitoring during sleep, with potential implications for improved diagnosis and management of cardiovascular and sleep-related disorders.
The ballistocardiography is a technique that measures the heart rate from the mechanical vibrations of the body due to the heart movement. In this work a novel noninvasive device placed under the mattress of a bed estimates the heart rate using the ballistocardiography. Different algorithms for heart rate estimation have been developed.
Sleep is an important part of our life that significantly influences our health and well-being. The monitoring of sleep can provide data based on which sleep quality could be improved. This paper presents a system for heart rate detection during sleep. The data is collected from sensors underneath the test subjects. Though the data contains noise, it needs to be filtered to remove it. Due to the low strength of the signals, they need to be amplified after filtering. At some points of the signal, particular heartbeats may not be tracked by sensors due to the failure of a sensor or other reasons, which should be considered. The heart rate is detected in intervals of 15 s. A tool is implemented that detects the heart rate and visualizes it. The preprocessing of the data is performed with several filters: a highpass filter, a band-reject filter, a lowpass filter, and a motion detector. After the preprocessing of the data, the quality of the signal is significantly increased, and detection is possible.
In many cases continuous monitoring of vital signals is required and low intrusiveness is an important requirement. Incorporating monitoring systems in the hospital or home bed could have benefits for patients and caregivers. The objective of this work is the definition of a measurement protocol and the creation of a data set of measurements using commercial and low-cost prototypes devices to estimate heart rate and breathing rate. The experimental data will be used to compare results achieved by the devices and to develop algorithms for feature extraction of vital signals.
Gamification is one of the recognized methods of motivating people in various life processes, and it has spread to many spheres of life, including healthcare. This article proposes a system design for long-term care patients using the method mentioned. The proposed system aims to increase patient engagement in the treatment and rehabilitation process via gamification. Literature research on available and earlier proposed systems was conducted to develop a suited system design. The primary target group includes bedridden patients and a sedentary lifestyle (predominantly lying in bed). One of the main criteria for selecting a suitable option was its contactless realization for the mentioned target groups in long-term care cases. As a result, we developed the system design for hardware and software that could prevent bedsores and other health problems from occurring because of low activity. The proposed design can be tested in hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers.
The importance of sleep for human life is enormous. It affects physical, mental, and psychological health. Therefore, it is vital to recognise sleep disorders in a timely manner in order to be able to initiate therapy. There are two methods for measuring sleep-related parameters - objective and subjective. Whether the substitution of a subjective method for an objective one is possible is investigated in this paper. Such replacement may bring several advantages, including increased comfort for the user. To answer this research question, a study was conducted in which 75 overnight recordings were evaluated. The primary purpose of this study was to compare both ways of measurement for total sleep time and sleep efficiency, which are essential parameters for, e.g., insomnia diagnosis and treatment. The evaluation results demonstrated that, on average, there are 32 minutes of difference between the two measurement methods when total sleep time is analysed. In contrast, on average, both measurement methods differ by 7.5% for sleep efficiency measurement. It should also be noted that people typically overestimate total sleep time and efficiency with the subjective method, where the perceived values are measured.
Nowadays, the importance of early active patient mobilization in the recovery and rehabilitation phase has increased significantly. One way to involve patients in the treatment is a gamification-like approach, which is one of the methods of motivation in various life processes. This article shows a system prototype for patients who require physical activity because of active early mobilization after medical interventions or during illness. Bedridden patients and people with a sedentary lifestyle (predominantly lying in bed) are also potential users. The main idea for the concept was non-contact system implementation for the patients making them feel effortless during its usage. The system consists of three related parts: hardware, software, and game application. To test the relevance and coherence of the system, it was used by 35 people. The participants were asked to play a video game requiring them to make body movements while lying down. Then they were asked to take part in a small survey to evaluate the system's usability. As a result, we offer a prototype consisting of hardware and software parts that can increase and diversify physical activity during active early mobilization of patients and prevent the occurrence of possible health problems due to predominantly low activity. The proposed design can be possibly implemented in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and even at home.
Evaluation of a Contactless Accelerometer Sensor System for Heart Rate Monitoring During Sleep
(2024)
The monitoring of a patient's heart rate (HR) is critical in the diagnosis of diseases. In the detection of sleep disorders, it also plays an important role. Several techniques have been proposed, including using sensors to record physiological signals that are automatically examined and analysed. This work aims to evaluate using a contactless HR monitoring system based on an accelerometer sensor during sleep. For this purpose, the oscillations caused by chest movements during heart contractions are recorded by an installation mounted under the bed mattress. The processing algorithm presented in this paper filters the signals and determines the HR. As a result, an average error of about 5 bpm has been documented, i.e., the system can be considered to be used for the forecasted domain.
Recognition of sleep and wake states is one of the relevant parts of sleep analysis. Performing this measurement in a contactless way increases comfort for the users. We present an approach evaluating only movement and respiratory signals to achieve recognition, which can be measured non-obtrusively. The algorithm is based on multinomial logistic regression and analyses features extracted out of mentioned above signals. These features were identified and developed after performing fundamental research on characteristics of vital signals during sleep. The achieved accuracy of 87% with the Cohen’s kappa of 0.40 demonstrates the appropriateness of a chosen method and encourages continuing research on this topic.
The scoring of sleep stages is an essential part of sleep studies. The main objective of this research is to provide an algorithm for the automatic classification of sleep stages using signals that may be obtained in a non-obtrusive way. After reviewing the relevant research, the authors selected a multinomial logistic regression as the basis for their approach. Several parameters were derived from movement and breathing signals, and their combinations were investigated to develop an accurate and stable algorithm. The algorithm was implemented to produce successful results: the accuracy of the recognition of Wake/NREM/REM stages is equal to 73%, with Cohen's kappa of 0.44 for the analyzed 19324 sleep epochs of 30 seconds each. This approach has the advantage of using the only movement and breathing signals, which can be recorded with less effort than heart or brainwave signals, and requiring only four derived parameters for the calculations. Therefore, the new system is a significant improvement for non-obtrusive sleep stage identification compared to existing approaches.
This paper presents a generic method to enhance performance and incorporate temporal information for cardiorespiratory-based sleep stage classification with a limited feature set and limited data. The classification algorithm relies on random forests and a feature set extracted from long-time home monitoring for sleep analysis. Employing temporal feature stacking, the system could be significantly improved in terms of Cohen’s κ and accuracy. The detection performance could be improved for three classes of sleep stages (Wake, REM, Non-REM sleep), four classes (Wake, Non-REM-Light sleep, Non-REM Deep sleep, REM sleep), and five classes (Wake, N1, N2, N3/4, REM sleep) from a κ of 0.44 to 0.58, 0.33 to 0.51, and 0.28 to 0.44 respectively by stacking features before and after the epoch to be classified. Further analysis was done for the optimal length and combination method for this stacking approach. Overall, three methods and a variable duration between 30 s and 30 min have been analyzed. Overnight recordings of 36 healthy subjects from the Interdisciplinary Center for Sleep Medicine at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Leave-One-Out-Cross-Validation on a patient-level have been used to validate the method.