Robust heart rate detection method using UWB impulse radar

Non-invasive and non-restrictive methods for measuring the physiological functions of the human body are useful for both patients and healthy people and improve the quality of life. Among the various methods of this type, one practical option involves the use of radar technology. In this paper, considering the issues of low power consumption, low implementation complexity, and safety with regard to exposure to the human body, a new method that detects the human heartbeat by utilizing an ultra wideband (UWB) impulse radar is proposed. Further, a spectral analysis that minimizes the effect of the unintended movement of the human body is presented to enhance the accuracy in detecting heart rates. In the experiment for verifying the accuracy of the proposed algorithm, an apparatus that imitates the movement of the rib cage due to heartbeats is utilized for ensuring reproducibility and repeatability. The proposed algorithm has shown that the frequency of weak rhythm in the radar signal contaminated by artifacts due to the movement of the target can be estimated with an accuracy of 98.7 %.