The best body spot to detect the vital capacity from the respiratory movement data obtained by the wearable strain sensor.
Haijuan Liu, Shaopeng Guo, Huilin Liu and 7 others
PMID 29706712WHAT IT FOUND
In 30 healthy men, sensor-measured chest-abdomen movement correlated with spirometer vital capacity, strongest at the 10th rib.
This helps choose a sensor site, but the study did not test patients or treatment effects.
Key findings
01Sensor movement at the axilla, xiphoid process, 10th rib, and umbilicus each had a significant positive correlation with spirometer vital capacity.
02The 10th rib had the highest correlation with vital capacity among the four measured body spots.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
All participants were healthy male staff, so the results may not apply to women, patients, or people with breathing disorders. The sample was small, with 30 participants. Mean BMI was 26.0 ± 4.7 kg/m2, which the paper classified as obesity group, and the authors listed this as a possible source of error. Standing posture and shoulder movement may have affected chest sensor readings, even though participants were told not to move their trunk and shoulders. Sensor placement at 5% of each body spot circumference may have introduced random error if some sensors were not placed precisely. The study measured correlation with vital capacity, not whether the sensor helps diagnose disease or improve patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the wearable strain sensor can replace spirometry or guide treatment in patients. It was tested only in 30 healthy male staff and measured correlation with vital capacity, not treatment effects.