Capaciflector validation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Validation of a capaciflector against a pneumotachometer to measure respiratory rate and the capaciflector against electrocardiography to measure heart rate at different anatomical locations on the chest during cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
IRAS ID
251775
Contact name
Nicholas Hayward
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
A change in respiratory rate or heart rate are often signs of a patient becoming unwell, indicating the need for urgent medical attention. Research by the Electronic Engineering Department at the University of Southampton has suggested that a capaciflector, a small plastic sensor disc, can measure a person’s respiratory rate and possibly heart rate too. The capaciflector sensor can either be attached to the skin or be worn on the outside of clothing. This inexpensive, non-invasive tool could allow routine continuous physiological measurements on patients, either at home or in clinical settings.
Our study will be the first ever study undertaken to measure respiratory rate and heart rate of patients using a capaciflector. We aim to assess the accuracy and reliability of the capaciflector in a variety of anatomical positions. We intend to evaluate the correlation between the capaciflector’s measurements of respiratory rate and heart rate when compared with the gold standards of a pneumotachometer and electrocardiography, respectively. These established methods are routine for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).
A CPET test is performed on an exercise bike to assess patient fitness, for perioperative risk management and to predict patient outcomes following major surgery. Studying the capaciflector on patients undergoing CPET will ensure that we are testing the capaciflector in a wide range of respiratory rates from rest (8-10 breaths per minute) to maximum exercise (up to 60 breaths per minute) and a broad range of heart rates (for example 50 up to 170 bpm). We wish to export the raw data from the capaciflector and the CPET software in an anonymised way for detailed analysis. The results of this validation study will guide further development of the capaciflector sensor in clinical and non-clinical settings.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0325
Date of REC Opinion
7 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion