Systems and methods for remotely tracking life signs with a millimeter-wave radar

A method for monitoring life signs in a subject within a target region, the method comprising:

• providing a radar unit comprising:
• at least one transmitter antenna connected to an oscillator and configured to transmit electromagnetic waves into the target region, and
• at least one receiver antenna configured to receive electromagnetic waves reflected by objects within the target region and operable to generate raw data;
• providing a processor unit configured to receive raw data from the radar unit and operable to identify oscillating signals therein;
• the radar transmitting and receiving scanning radiation over the target region;
• the radar generating series of frames, each frame comprising an array of complex values representing radiation reflected from each voxel of the target region during a given time segment;
• the processor collating a series of complex values for each voxel representing reflected radiation for the associated voxel in multiple frames;
• for each voxel determining a center point in the complex plane;
• determining a phase value for each voxel in each frame;
• generating a smooth waveform representing phase changes over time for each voxel;
• selecting a subset of voxels indicative of an oscillating signal;
• and
• extracting life signs parameters from the oscillating signal, and
• wherein the step of generating a smooth waveform representing phase changes over time for each voxel comprises rounding each phase value.

A system for monitoring life signs in a subject within a target region, the system comprising:

• a radar unit comprising:
• at least one transmitter antenna connected to an oscillator and configured to transmit electromagnetic waves into the target region, and
• at least one receiver antenna configured to receive electromagnetic waves reflected by objects within the target region and operable to generate raw data;
• and
• a processor unit configured to receive raw data from the radar unit and operable to identify oscillating signals therein;
• wherein the processor unit comprises:
• a frame collator comprising a memory unit configured to store a series of complex frame values for each voxel within the target region;
• a voxel segmentation module comprising a processor configured to generate a smooth waveform representing phase changes over time for each voxel;
• a breathing parameter determination module;
• and
• a heart rate parameter determination module
• wherein the heart rate monitor comprises:
• a radar unit directed at a target region
• a foot rest positioned such that the upper side of a foot of a subject placed thereupon is in situated within the target region.