Reliability and validity of measuring respiration movement using a wearable strain sensor in healthy subjects.
Haijuan Liu, Shaopeng Guo, Kaipei Zheng and 5 others
PMID 28931984WHAT IT FOUND
A wearable strain sensor consistently measured chest and belly expansion in young healthy men, matching a tape measure.
It offers an objective alternative to manual inspection. However, it has not been tested in patients with breathing problems.
Key findings
01The sensor showed high consistency when measuring the same people on two separate days, with correlation values between 0.94 and 0.98 across all chest and abdominal sites.
02Sensor readings correlated significantly with standard tape measure readings, though the strength of this relationship varied from 0.72 to 0.85 depending on the body location.
03The device was tested only in healthy young men with no history of respiratory, circulatory, or neurological disorders, so its performance in patients is unknown.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only 21 healthy young men, so the results do not apply to women, older adults, or people with respiratory conditions. The sensor was tested only in a standing position, which may not reflect how patients breathe in clinical settings. The comparison to the tape measure showed lower agreement at the armpit, suggesting skin movement or arm position can affect accuracy. The study did not test the sensor's usability or comfort for patients with breathing difficulties.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this sensor works for patients with breathing problems. It was tested only on healthy young men in a standing position, and the authors explicitly state that further studies are needed for patients with respiratory issues.