According to a 2019 article in Nature,blood pressure (BP) abnormalities, such as hypotension and hypertension, are important risk factors for many short- and long-term critical illnesses, with a global disease impact on about 1.25 billion people [1].
In addition to the high number of people with blood pressure issues, sleep apnea is a rapidly increasing health problem as well. Experts project that the sleep apnea devices market will reach USD 9.9 billion by 2026 from USD 7.1 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period [2]. Market growth is attributed to factors such as the large number of undiagnosed sleep apnea patients, growing awareness about the ill effects of untreated sleep apnea, growing usage of oral appliances and an increasing number of companies entering the sleep apnea market.
Both of these major healthcare areas have some common problems:
- The most common accurate measurement techniques require a healthcare expert to make them
- They both provide a point in time rather than continuous indication of the patient’s health
A 60 GHz radar sensor is addressing the issues in both of these areas. Infineon Technologies’ BGT60TR13C, a 60 GHz monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) with integrated antennas, can sense sub-millimeter movements of a person’s heartbeat and respiration rate as well as arterial waveforms [3].
For blood pressure measurements, Infineon has collaborated with Blumio to co-develop a wearable, non-invasive blood pressure sensor based on the radar chipset [4].
Blumio’s sensor can pick up a signal anywhere pulses can be felt.
Sleepiz AG, a Swiss digital health company, is using the chipset to accurately measure vital signs such as heartbeat and breathing rate without touching the body or intruding on the user’s privacy [5].
Using 60 GHz radar signals, Sleepiz measures breathing, pulse rate and movement.
“We are currently engaged with healthcare and fitness manufacturers to develop innovative wellness products using 60 GHz radar technology,” said Kim Lee, Sr. Director of System Applications, Infineon Technologies. “This will enable users to non-intrusively monitor and detect vital sensing patterns, such as respiratory rate that provides data for sleep analysis, heart rate for activity tracking, and more.”
References:
1-https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-52710-8
2-https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/sleep-apnea-devices-market-719.html
