Palm-Sized Wireless MEMS Flow Sensor System Attachable to Medical Mask for Real-Time Respiration Monitoring

Pulmonary diseases are of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. This has motivated researchers to develop respiration monitoring devices to allow enhanced prevention and early diagnosis of the diseases. In this study, we propose a novel palm-sized real-time wireless respiration monitoring system attachable to conventional medical masks. A micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) calorimetric flow sensor is at the heart of the system. The sensor system is powered with coin batteries and the measurement data was transmitted through Bluetooth. The sensor package was optimized to achieve a stable output even with a short flow channel length of 34 mm, limiting the dead space. A measurement of respiration rate and tidal volume was demonstrated, which was consistent with a spirometry reference generally used for respiration measurements in hospitals.