Detection of human respiration based on measurement of current generated by electrostatic induction
In this study, we developed an effective technique for measuring human respiration using a noncontact and nonattached electrode. The technique requires the measurement of the current generated due to the difference in capacitance between a given electrode and the human body. The subpicoampere electrostatic induction current flowing through the electrode when placed a few centimeters from the subject is detected. We propose an occurrence model for the electrostatic induction current generated by the change in capacitance caused by the movement of the body surface while taking a breath. This model effectively describes the behavior of the current flowing through the measurement electrode.
We report on a newborn with peracute glycine encephalopathy. The child exhibited poor feeding, incipient respiratory failure and increasing muscular hypotonia from the first few days of life onwards and was admitted to hospital at six weeks due to regression of the symptoms. Following respiratory arrest the child had to be placed on controlled ventilation and died at the age of four months in spite of therapeutic measures. Previous papers on this rare disease have described elevated CSF glycine levels, EEG patterns, CT scan and acoustic and visual evoked potentials. We have supplemented these for the first time by somatosensory evoked potentials. The following is an account of the clinical course and the therapy given.