Medical & biological engineering & computing
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Med Biol Eng Comput · Jul 2008
A novel autonomic activation measurement method for stress monitoring: non-contact measurement of heart rate variability using a compact microwave radar.
We developed a novel method for non-contact monitoring of stress-induced autonomic activation through the back of a chair, using a compact 24 GHz microwave radar (8 x 5 x 3 cm), without large-scale equipment and placing a heavy burden on the monitored individual. Following a silent period of 120 s, audio stimuli using a composite tone of 2,120 and 2,130 Hz sine-waves at 95 dB were conducted for 120 s. ⋯ Maximum cross-correlations between contact and non-contact measurements averaged 0.73 +/- 0.10. Our method appears to be promising for future monitoring of stress-induced autonomic activation of operators and may reduce stress-induced accidents.