A Modular 61 GHz Vital Sign Sensing Radar System for Long-term Clinical Studies

This paper presents a continuous wave (CW) radar system operating at the 61 GHz ISM (industrial, scientific and medical) band for contactless heart sound monitoring optimized for use in the clinical environment. Due to the high temporal resolution, this radar system allows an exact acquisition of the heart rate variability (HRV). It can be mounted under the bed for long-term monitoring without disturbing the patient. This measurement system is beneficial for e.g. seizure disorders that can be detected based on HRV changes. This paper presents the basic principle of the radar system and the optimizations necessary for clinical application. The measurement data extracted from a clinical study shows excellent agreement with an electrocardiography (ECG), thus validating the systems performance.