Ultra wideband (uwb) baby monitors for detection of infant cardiopulmonary distress

A ultra wideband (UWB) patient monitoring system having an impedance transformer pad to minimize reflective loss, the system having a UWB bandwidth for emitting sensing signals, the system further comprising:

• an impedance transformer pad having a UWB antenna beneath an impedance transformer region, the antenna configured to transmit UWB signals through the impedance transformer region to a patient resting on the pad,
• wherein the impedance transformer region has one or more planar layers and the thickness of each layer is approximately one quarter or one half of the wavelength of the center frequency of the bandwidth in the dielectric of that layer;
• and
• a processor configured to receive signals from UWB antenna to monitor the patient.

A method of monitoring an infant using an ultra wideband (UWB) radar system including an impedance transformer pad, the method comprising:

• placing the infant atop the impedance transformer pad;
• and
• emitting a UWB signal from a UWB antenna, wherein the signal passes from the antenna, through an impedance transformer region of the impedance transformer pad and into the infant, further wherein the impedance transformer region has at least one layer having a dielectric constant of between about 5 and about 20,
• wherein the impedance transformer pad reduces the impedance miss-match between the antenna and the infant to reduce reflective loss of energy from the signal.

An ultra wideband (UWB) baby monitoring system, the system comprising:

• an impedance transformer pad having a soft or resilient recumbent surface upon which a baby may rest;
• a UWB antenna coupled to the impedance transformer pad and configured to emit a UWB signal through the transformer pad and into the baby, wherein the impedance transformer pad is configured to prevent reflective loss of more than 50% of energy of the UWB signal;
• and
• a processor in communication with the UWB antenna and configured to monitor the baby when the baby is resting on the impedance transformer pad.

A bassinet configured for ultra wideband (UWB) monitoring of an infant, the bassinet comprising:

• a temperature-regulated bassinet enclosure having walls and a lower surface;
• and
• at least one UWB antenna integrated into the bassinet and configured to emit UWB energy into an infant within the bassinet from the tower surface of the bassinet;
• wherein the tower surface of the bassinet impedance matches to minimize reflective loss of UWB energy between the UWB antenna and the infant.