Method for monitoring respiration

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for monitoring respiration comprising:
 by a processor coupled to a respiration sensor and an activity sensor positioned in a housing, the housing configured to be attached to clothing worn by a user, 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, and the activity sensor configured to generate an activity signal associated with activity performed by the user:
 transforming 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; 
 associating the activity determined from the activity signal with a portion of the dataset; 
 extracting 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; 
 analyzing the at least one respiration characteristic and a comparative respiration characteristic generated from the dataset or from another dataset; and 
 generating a user notification indicative of respiration of the user based on a result of the analysis. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the housing encloses the respiration sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be removably attached to the clothing worn by the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the housing is configured to be adhered to clothing worn by the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method 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. 
     
     
         6 . The method 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. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first side configured to contact the user's skin and a second side configured to couple to the clothing worn by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second side of the housing is configured to be attached to an inside surface of the clothing worn by the user to hold the first side against the user. 
     
     
         9 . The method 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. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, by the processor, transmitting the user notification to a remote computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, by the processor, analyzing the at least one respiration characteristic and the comparative respiration characteristic generated from the dataset or from another dataset by at least one of:
 determining at least one of a similarity or difference from comparison of a respiration metric associated with the at least one respiration characteristic with a first comparative respiration metric associated with the at least one respiration characteristic generated from the dataset, the respiration metric associated with the activity performed by the user and the first comparative respiration metric not associated with the activity; or   determining at least one change from comparison of the respiration metric associated with the at least one respiration characteristic with a second comparative respiration metric associated with the comparative respiration characteristic generated from another dataset and associated with another occurrence of the activity performed by the user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the respiration sensor is the sole sensor configured to detect respiration of the user.