Comparison of respiratory rate estimation based on tracheal sounds versus a capnograph

G Sierra; V Telfort; B Popov; M Pelletier; P Despault; R Agarwal; V Lanzo

doi:10.1109/IEMBS.2005.1615897

Comparison of respiratory rate estimation based on tracheal sounds versus a capnograph

Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2005:2005:6145-8. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2005.1615897.

Authors

G Sierra¹, V Telfort, B Popov, M Pelletier, P Despault, R Agarwal, V Lanzo

Affiliation

¹ Andromed Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

PMID: 17281667
DOI: 10.1109/IEMBS.2005.1615897

Abstract

The objective was to compare the accuracy of estimations of respiratory rate (RR), based on tracheal sounds, with simultaneous estimations from a capnograph, using as a common reference a pneumotachometer. Five subjects without pulmonary diseases were enrolled. Tracheal sounds were acquired using a contact piezoelectric sensor placed on the subject's throat and analyzed using a combined investigation of the sound envelope and frequency content. The capnograph and pneumotachometer were coupled to a face mask worn by the subjects. There was a strong linear correlation (r2= 0.98) between the acoustic method and the pneumotachometer and also between the capnograph and the pneumotachometer (r2 = 0.98). The SEE obtained by the acoustic method was 1.11 and the SEE obtained by the capnograph was 1.23. As a conclusion, the accuracy of the respiratory rate estimated from tracheal sounds on adult subjects was comparable to the accuracy of a commercial capnograph, using as a common reference a pneumotachometer.