Work

Differential Measurement of Involuntary Breathing Movements

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Free divers are known to experience a physiological response during extreme breath holding, causing involuntary breathing movements (IBMs). To investigate these movements, a low-cost multi-core ESP32-Pico microcontroller prototype was developed to measure IBMs during a static breath hold. This novel device, called the bioSense, uses a differential measurement between two accelerometers placed on the sternum and the xiphoid process to acquire breathing-related movements. Sensor placement allowed for data acquisition that was posture- and body-shape-agnostic. Sensor placement was also designed to be as non-intrusive as possible and precisely capture breathing movements at configurable sampling rates. Measurements from the device were sent over WiFi to be accessed on a password-protected webserver and backed up to a micro-secure digital (microSD) card. This device was used in a pilot study, where it captured the various phases of breathing experienced by recreational free divers alongside a force plate measurement system for comparison.

Source: Biosensors

DOI: 10.3390/bios15020087

Authors: Jacob Seman, Carlos Rodriguez Amaro, Lillian Tucker, Jordan M. Fleury, Keegan Erickson, Gannon White, Talles Batista Rattis Santos, Michelle M. Mellenthin

Institutions: Colorado Mesa University, University of Colorado Boulder, Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University, Northern Michigan University

Language: English

Topic: Non-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654

OpenAlex ID: W4407192571

FWCI: 0.236

Cites: 22

Cited by: 1

Related to: 10