A Wearable Morphic Sensor for Unobtrusive Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Monitoring in ICU Patients: A Pilot Validation Study.

Titus Jayarathna, Caitlin Polley, Paul P Breen, Gaetano D Gargiulo, Anders Aneman

Abstract readValidation Study

In one paragraph

Article in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Titus JayarathnaThe MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1849-4235

Caitlin PolleySchool of Engineering, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.

Paul P BreenThe MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8860-2086

Gaetano D GargiuloSchool of Engineering, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2616-2804

Anders AnemanDepartment of Intensive Care, Liverpool Hospital, Elizabeth Street, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2096-5304

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis pilot study evaluated the real-world accuracy of a novel wearable morphic sensor system for unobtrusive, continuous heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) monitoring in critically ill patients within an intensive care unit (ICU).

methodsA hybrid piezoresistive/piezoelectric disk-shaped sensor was placed on patients' backs to capture cardiorespiratory activity via forcecardiographic principles. Data were acquired from 15 ICU patients using a custom wireless recorder. The piezoelectric channel was processed using discrete wavelet transform and an adaptive peak detection algorithm. Derived HR and RR were compared against reference measurements from clinical patient monitors and a ventilator.

resultsBland-Altman analysis showed a mean bias of -0.39 ± 1.99 beats per minute for HR and 0.06 ± 0.90 breaths per minute for RR. Linear regression revealed strong correlation with clinical monitors (HR R-squared = 0.982; RR R-squared = 0.966). The device's RR performance matched the agreement between two independent clinical reference devices.

conclusionThe proposed system met the pre-specified bias and standard deviation criteria for HR and RR monitoring in bed-bound ICU patients. Its skin-adhesive-free design enables unobtrusive, continuous vital sign surveillance without direct skin contact. These findings support ICU monitoring. Step-down ward and ambulatory applications remain to be validated in future studies.

Indexed as

Heart RateRespiratory RateWearable Electronic DevicesAgedAlgorithmsFemaleHumansIntensive Care UnitsMaleMiddle AgedMonitoring, PhysiologicPilot ProjectsSignal Processing, Computer-Assisteddiscrete wavelet transformforcecardiographic signalICU monitoringmorphic sensorsvital signswearable electronics

Identifiers

PMID42884252

DOI10.3390/s26196052

PMCPMC13667736

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.