Medical & biological engineering & computing
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Med Biol Eng Comput · May 2016
Non-contact diagnostic system for sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome based on amplitude and phase analysis of thoracic and abdominal Doppler radars.
Full-night polysomnography (PSG) has been recognized as the gold standard test for sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS). However, PSG examinees are physically restrained for the full night by many contact sensors and obtrusive connecting cables, inducing mental stress. We developed a non-contact SAHS diagnostic system that can detect apneic events without inducing stress in monitored individuals. ⋯ Respiratory disturbance indexes obtained showed a higher correlation (r = 94 %) with PSG than with pulse oximetry (r = 89 %). When predicting the severity of SAHS with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of >15/h or >30/h using PSG as a reference, the radar system achieved a sensitivity of 96 and 90 %, and a specificity of 100 and 79 % with an AHI of >15/h and >30/h, respectively. The proposed radar system can be used as an alternative to the current airflow sensor, and to chest and abdomen belts for apnea-hypopnea evaluation.