Laser-Induced Graphene for Wearable Respiratory Monitoring

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) shows promise as an active sensing material for a wearable respiratory monitoring system. This work describes the integration of a graphene-based sensor and an electronic system for real-time respiratory monitoring. The sensor transduces body movements during breathing into resistance changes after which the resistance is converted into a digital signal using the developed electronic system. An adjustable current source provides optimal biasing based on microcontroller calibration. Measurements on a supine subject exhibit good waveforms corresponding to breathing cycles. While signal filtering is needed to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, the capability of laser-induced graphene for respiratory monitoring is demonstrated. With optimization of material synthesis and electronics, the laser-induced graphene sensing concept could enable non-invasive respiration monitoring for advanced healthcare applications. The further development of wireless connectivity, data storage, user interfaces, and algorithmic processing could allow the practical deployment of this technology for diagnostic applications.