Future Directions

Future work on this project could be focused on tailoring our results to specific applications. As mentioned previously there are numerous applications where our design could be used. We will discuss some uses in the market for the breathing rate monitor and how we may have to change our design to implement these solutions.

First, respiratory rates are one of the conditions for COVID-19 patients to be taken off of a ventilator. If a patient’s respiratory rate “remains above 35 breaths per minute for 5 minutes” or more then they cannot be removed from the ventilator [9] . Our system would be able to monitor the breathing of the patient and tell the doctor if they can or cannot meet this requirement. Very little would have to be changed to implement our design through certification from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and FDA. Second, athletes often monitor breathing as it is very important to tracking the progress and performance during conditioning. It has been studied that the breathing rate is an important factor corelated to physical fitness [10]. Here, we would likely have to do some miniturization of the device to make it wearable, though implemtation in its current form could be used inside a gym for certain sports. Finally, sleep can be monitored best by tracking breathing patterns [11]. Good sleep is essential to avoid mental illness and other health issues. Many wearable technologies are already trying to accomplish this, and our device can help with this aim. It could also potentially be used in detection of conditions such as sleep apnea. In conclusion, we believe that there are many marketable applications for our device that would be valuable to many potential customers.