# US 2019/0167193 A1 · System and method for monitoring respiration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167193 A1 - Document ID: US20190167193A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/271,418 - Filed: 2019-02-08 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-09 - Assignees: Spire Corporation - Applicants: Spire, Inc. - Inventors: Jonathan Paul K. Palley; Zhao Zhao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167193A1 ## CPC - A61B 5/6823: {Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip} - A61B 5/0816: {Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00)} - A61B 5/1118: {Determining activity level} - A61B 5/1135: {by monitoring thoracic expansion} - A61B 5/14551: {for measuring blood gases} - A61B 5/0205: Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition - A61B 5/02416: {using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/085: Measuring impedance of respiratory organs or lung elasticity - A61B 5/087: Measuring breath flow - A61B 5/1112: {Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS} - A61B 5/7282: {Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition (cough events A61B5/0823; seizures A61B5/4094; sleep apnoea A61B5/4818)} - A61B 2562/0214: Capacitive electrodes - A61B 2562/0261: Strain gauges - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A system and method for monitoring respiration of a user, comprising: a respiration sensing module including a sensor configured to detect a set of respiration signals of the user based upon movement resulting from the user's respiration; a supplementary sensing module comprising an accelerometer and configured to detect a set of supplemental signals from the user; an electronics subsystem comprising a power module configured to power the system and a signal processing module configured to condition the set of respiration signals and the set of supplemental signals; a housing configured to facilitate coupling of the respiration sensing module and the supplementary sensing module to the user; and a data link coupled to the electronics subsystem through the housing and configured to transmit data generated from the set of respiration signals and the set of supplemental signals, thereby facilitating monitoring of the user's respiration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring respiration comprising: a housing configured to be attached to clothing worn by a user; a respiration sensor positioned in the housing, the respiration sensor configured to generate a respiration signal in response to compressive forces caused by respiration of the user being applied to the housing; an activity sensor positioned in the housing, the activity sensor configured to generate an activity signal associated with activity performed by the user; and a processor coupled to the respiration sensor and the activity sensor, the processor configured to: transform the respiration signal and the activity signal into a dataset characterizing at least one respiration characteristic of the user and an activity contemporaneously performed by the user; associate the activity determined from the activity signal with a portion of the dataset; extract the at least one respiration characteristic from the dataset by distinguishing the portion of the dataset associated with the activity from a remaining portion of the dataset; analyze the at least one respiration characteristic and a comparative respiration characteristic generated from the remaining portion of the dataset or from another dataset; and generate a user notification indicative of respiration of the user based on a result of the analysis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the respiration sensor comprises a plurality of conductive plates separated by a non-rigid material, and wherein the respiration sensor is configured to generate the respiration signal based on a change in capacitance responsive to the compressive forces caused by respiration of the user being applied to the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the compressive forces are directed along a superficial-deep axis through a torso of the user and the housing, and wherein the housing is displaced in a superficial direction from the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive plates comprises first and second conductive plates, and wherein the respiration sensor is configured to generate the respiration signal in response to a deflection of the first plate relative to the second plate and resulting deformation of the non-rigid material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be attached to the clothing proximal to at least one of a chest region or an abdominal region of the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a clip attached to the housing and configured to couple the housing to the clothing, the clip further configured to retain the housing proximal to a body of the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the user notification to a remote computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a haptic output device, and wherein the user notification comprises activation of the haptic output device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one respiration characteristic comprises at least one of depth of breath, shallowness of breath, thoracic variations, work of breathing, or phase angle of respiration of the user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the at least one respiration characteristic and the comparative respiration characteristic generated from the remaining portion of the dataset or from another dataset by at least one of: determining at least one of a similarity or difference from comparison of the at least one respiration characteristic with the comparative respiration characteristic generated from the remaining portion of the dataset, the at least one respiration characteristic associated with the activity performed by the user and the comparative respiration characteristic not associated with the activity; or determining at least one change from comparison of the at least one respiration characteristic with the comparative respiration characteristic generated from another dataset and associated with another occurrence of the activity performed by the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the housing is configured to be positioned between the clothing and a body of the user, and wherein the compressive forces are configured to deflect at least one of the plurality of conductive plates in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the body of the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a substantially convex surface configured to face a body of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the activity sensor comprises an accelerometer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the respiration sensor is the sole sensor configured to detect respiration of the user.