An efficient method for detection of inspiration phase of respiration in thermal imaging

摘要

Respiration rate and the time duration between successive respiration cycles are two important parameters required for detection of apnea disorders during a polysomnograph test. Conventional methods use thermistors and respiration belts to measure these parameters. These however cause patient discomfort and also tether the patient to the bed. Thermal imaging is proposed in literature for non-contact measurement of respiration rate, wherein the inspiration and expiration of the patient can be visually monitored as temperature variations from his thermal images. In this paper, a segmentation approach is proposed to accurately localize the low temperature region that occurs near the nostrils during inhalation.