A Nearable Soft Mat Based on Distributed Optical Fiber Sensing for Physiological Monitoring

2026-07-13

AI Summary

This study addresses the lack of highly sensitive, large-area, and spatially resolved flexible sensing interfaces in current non-wearable physiological monitoring. To this end, it introduces, for the first time, optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR)-based distributed fiber-optic sensing into proximal, non-contact health monitoring. A soft mat embedded with a single-mode optical fiber arranged in a serpentine pattern at a 2.6 mm pitch within a flexible silicone matrix was fabricated, yielding 2,250 sensing points capable of high-resolution two-dimensional mechanical perturbation detection. In seated experiments involving six participants, the system simultaneously extracted heart and respiratory rates that showed strong agreement with reference devices, while also generating spatiotemporal response maps with clear physiological relevance. These results demonstrate the feasibility and innovation of this approach for unobtrusive, continuous physiological monitoring.

Abstract

Distributed optical fiber sensing (DOFS) combines the advantages of fiber optic sensors, including flexibility, small size, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and high metrological performance, with the capability to transform a single optical fiber into a continuous sensing element for spatially resolved mechanical measurements. Optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR), based on Rayleigh backscattering, enables high spatial resolution DOFS measurements, broadening the range of potential sensing applications. However, OFDR based DOFS remains largely unexplored for biomedical applications, despite the need for sensitive, spatially resolved, and conformable sensing interfaces. This study presents a soft DOFS based mat as a large-area interface for physiological monitoring. A single-mode optical fiber was embedded in a flexible silicone matrix and arranged in a serpentine layout to distribute sensing over the mat surface. With a gage pitch of 2.6 mm, the system provided 2250 sensing sites across the active area at a sampling frequency of 50 Hz. The mat was assessed on six healthy volunteers in a seated nearable configuration on the backrest of a standard office chair. The distributed output enabled two dimensional mapping of the mat response, reflecting back mat mechanical coupling and cardiorespiratory induced perturbations. Respiratory rate and heart rate were therefore estimated and compared with a reference wearable system. The maps revealed physiologically coherent spatial and temporal patterns, while the estimated rates showed good agreement with the reference measurements. These results demonstrate the feasibility of combining large area distributed sensing, spatial mapping, and quantitative cardiorespiratory monitoring within a DOFS based soft nearable interface.

Problem

• distributed optical fiber sensing
• physiological monitoring
• spatially resolved sensing
• cardiorespiratory monitoring
• soft nearable interface

Innovation

• distributed optical fiber sensing
• optical frequency domain reflectometry
• soft nearable interface
• physiological monitoring
• spatially resolved sensing