WO2010015865A1

WO2010015865A1 - Breathing monitor and method for monitoring breating

Info

Publication number: WO2010015865A1
Application number: PCT/GB2009/050995
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tuvi Orbach
Original assignee: Healthsmart Limited
Priority date: 2008-08-08
Filing date: 2009-08-10
Publication date: 2010-02-11
Also published as: GB0814442D0

Abstract

A breathing monitor (1) includes a sensor (6, 11) sensitive to sound and to temperature, which is placed next to the user's nose or mouth and detects airflow, that senses one or more parameters resulting from an individual?s breath and produces a first input signal relating to the individual's breath plus incidental signals received by the sensor, a processor (7) for identifying a breathing signal from the first input signal and an output means (8) that provides an output signal corresponding to the breathing signal, said output signal representing one or more breathing characteristics of the individual without incidental signals. The output signal may be displayed to the user graphically or numerically. The monitor may be within a mobile phone, the mobile phone providing both the processor and the output signal display.

Description

BREATHING MONITOR AND METHOD FOR MONITORING

BREATING

Field of the Invention

The present intervention relates to a breathing monitor having a sensor such as a microphone that can be used to sense airflow from an individual breathing and to transmit this data to a processor which can process this data and use it to monitor the breathing of the individual. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a microphone for monitoring breathing.

Background of the Invention

It is known to have devices that can monitor breathing by way of measurement of the movement of the thorax of an individual as the ribs expand and contract on inhalation and exhalation. Such devices involve placing, for example, a band or strap around the rib cage of the individual and the expansion and contraction of the ribs is measured over time. The degree of expansion of the rib cage can give an indication of the depth of breathing of the individual and the frequency of expansion can give an indication of the rate of breathing. These known arrangements simply detect the movement or expansion of the band such as by measuring changes in the tension of the strap or its movements.

Disadvantages associated with such known devices are that a measuring element such as strap has to be placed around an individual and this may be difficult or inconvenient. Further, if an individual is immobilised and perhaps is bed-ridden, then placing a strap around the torso may be difficult because the individual has to be lifted before the strap can be put in place.

Further disadvantages lie in the fact that such known devices are medical devices. They are not cheap, and cannot be used by individuals as they are going about their business. Even if they could be made cheaper, most people would not wish to buy one or to carry one with them during the day. Known devices are therefore used by medical staff, for example in a hospital. But it would often be useful to be able to analyse breathing during the normal activities of an individual rather than during a test procedure. A particular disadvantage associated with an individual being tested for breathing at a distinct point in time is that the test may not be representative of how the individual is breathing through the course of the day. During tests, individuals may consciously try and modify their breathing to achieve particular results. Also, there is the disadvantage that movement in the chest area may be as a result of movement other than breathing movement, for example coughing or stretching or indeed general movement of the body. If movement other than that which is directly associated with the breathing is measured, then the resulting measurement will not be truly representative of the individual's breathing. Another method to monitor breathing is a capnometer, but this requires placing of a tube just inside the nostril, so it is not convenient for the user, and it is expensive, so it is mainly used in a medical setting.

The present invention seeks to overcome the problems of the prior art by providing an easily accessible device that can be used to monitor breathing. Further, the device is not intrusive and therefore the breathing of the individual can be monitored throughout the day, thereby giving a more representative indication of the breathing pattern of that individual. Further the present invention seeks to provide a device and method that gives a measurement of breathing that is truly representative of the breathing pattern, and from which extraneous readings or "noise" have been removed so avoiding false or unrepresentative measurements. Another advantage is that the new invention can use a device such as a mobile phone that the user may carry with them in any case.

Statements of Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a breathing monitor having a sensor for sensing airflow from an individual's breath and for converting it to electronic signals, the sensor comprising a microphone without a wind shield, and a temperature-sensing device, and the sensor being held by a flexible boom in proximity to the individual's nose or mouth; and a processor to which the electronic signals are fed, the processor filtering the signals and differentiating between breathing signals corresponding to expiration and/or inspiration, and sound signals corresponding to external sounds and/or the individual's voice, and providing an output signal corresponding to the breathing signals, said output signal representing one or more breathing characteristics of the individual.

The sensor includes a microphone (sensitive to audible frequencies) . It is envisaged that the sensor may be incorporated in a headset associated with a communications device. For example the headset may be associated with a mobile phone (sometimes referred to as a cell phone), a mobile computer or an organiser type device. The flexible boom is preferably attached to an ear clip, but is sufficiently long to reach the proximity of the mouth or nose .

As indicated above, the parameter measured by the sensor may be audible sound resulting from the breathing of the individual, or lower frequency fluctuations of air pressure associated with the breath of the individual. Simultaneously the sensor senses changes in the temperature of the air, preferably using a thermistor; this enables breathing out and breathing in to be distinguished.

It is envisaged that the microphone may be a mono or a stereo microphone. A control may be provided so that the microphone can switch between the two modes of operation. A stereo microphone has a particular application if an individual breathes through his or her mouth and nose. This allows for a more precise measurement of exhaled breath with one microphone close to the mouth and a second microphone close to the nose. It is particularly preferred to arrange that the microphone closer to the nose detects breathing, while the microphone closer to the mouth detects voice sounds.

Preferably there is an air flow guide or baffle to direct exhaled air onto the microphone, and so to increase the resulting signal. The temperature-sensing device may be mounted in the baffle, for measuring the temperature of the air flow and so distinguishing between breathing in and breathing out. It is also envisaged that there is an electronic amplifier to amplify the signals received from the sensor.

The processor is arranged to distinguish the signal due to the breathing of the individual from extraneous sounds. These extraneous sounds may be referred to in the following specification as "noise". It will be appreciated that the conventional use of a microphone is to capture sounds (such as voice or music), and that breath would constitute "noise", whereas with the present invention the intention is to capture a signal representing the breath, so that other sounds (such as voice or music) therefore constitute "noise" for the purposes of the present invention.

The sensor may be integral with a device that incorporates the processor (such as a mobile telephone), or the sensor may be connected to the processor by a wire or by a wireless communication (such as Bluetooth) . The processor may comprise a single processor that performs the different functions of distinguishing input signals, or it may comprise separate processors working together.

The output signal may be treated as data and in particular it may be displayed in the form of a visual display. In addition, the data may be given as an audible signal, or a combination of both. The data may be relayed directly to the individual whose breath is being monitored or it may be transmitted to a remote display for monitoring by a third party, for example a medical practitioner. In some situations, the display can include a warning feature so that if an individual is detected as breathing in a way that could be harmful to their health, either a visible warning is flashed onto a screen or a warning alarm is given (e.g. by audio sound or vibration) .

The visual display may be provided on a screen which is in communication with the headset so that the user can see the warning. This screen may be provided as a computer screen or as part of the mobile communications device that is being used to monitor the breathing. An example of an integral screen would be the screen of a mobile telephone or computer. Thus, if the breathing monitor uses a mobile telephone, the mobile phone may provide both the processor and the output signal display.

Screens that are associated with mobile telephones are relatively small and sometimes are not clearly visible to users, especially if they have poor vision. Therefore, at home or at work the breathing monitor can be in communication with a larger screen. This may be a television screen, the screen on a computer or even a projection screen. Having a larger screen would enable the individual whose breath is being monitored or other users to view the data concerning the individual's breathing more easily. Also, if a number of individuals are monitoring and discussing the data, for example in a patient case conference, then having a larger screen enables several persons to view the screen simultaneously .

It is envisaged that the visual display and screen can be in direct (wired) communication with the breathing monitor or they may be in communication by wireless communication. This allows for the transmission of data from the communications device to the large screen at a remote location. It may be that the large screen is part of a central network where information about the individual's breathing is collated and stored. Such a network may be a centralised computer system in a hospital or clinic where physicians have access to the information received.

The further feature of the invention may be that if information is received that indicates that the individual has a poor breathing pattern, or there are problems with breathing, the physician is alerted to this fact and they can then be prompted to contact the individual to explain that they may need treatment. This communication can be directly to the mobile communication device or to another communication device, such as a telephone or a computer.

In particular, the data concerning the user's breathing may be displayed graphically. However, it is possible that the data is displayed numerically or a combination of both types of display may be used or it can be converted to a voice. For example a synthesised voice may tell the users their breathing rate, or may provide information only if they are breathing too fast - hyperventilating - and may instruct them to relax and breathe more slowly.

Preferably, the display includes information concerning optimum values for a breathing pattern so that a comparison between the data received from an individual and acceptable values for the breathing pattern can be made .

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of monitoring the breathing of an individual, wherein one or more parameters resulting directly from an individual's breath are measured, a value is given for the measured parameter including noise associated with the individual's breath, the noise is removed from the said value, and an output is produced which is indicative of one or more breathing characteristics of the individual.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon processor implementable instructions for controlling the processor to implement the process of monitoring breathing of an individual .

Preferably, said computer program product is embodied on a computer readable medium which may be installed on a mobile phone or a PC, in the form of a disk or a memory stick thereby allowing an upgrade of a breathing monitor with new information. Alternatively it can be downloaded from the Internet or a mobile service such as itune .

According to another aspect, the invention provides for the monitoring of the breathing of an individual using a conventional microphone.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1: shows a schematic diagram of a headset according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2: shows a schematic diagram of a mobile communication device that can be used in an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3: shows a display screen showing data about a user's breathing; and

Figure 4 : shows a flow chart of the steps carried out by the breathing monitor of an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a headset 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The headset 1 as shown is secured to the head by way of a clip 2 which is attached to the ear, and includes a flexible boom 5 that holds a microphone in proximity to the nose and mouth. In an alternative embodiment which is not shown, the headset is secured to the head by way of headphones connected by a headband and supporting a boom microphone in position on the user's head in proximity to the nose or the mouth of the user.

The headset 1 comprises an ear clip 2 connected to an earpiece 3 which houses an audio transducer (not shown) . The earpiece 3 is a U-shaped body that, in use, rests adjacent the ear canal of the user when the ear clip 2 fits over the ear. Audio information can be relayed to the user from the earpiece 3 directly to the ear. The earpiece 3 may contain a battery, a processor and a wireless communication means such as Bluetooth (TM) . It also includes an on/off switch 4. The headset 1 also comprises a long, flexible arm or boom 5 carrying a microphone element 6 at its extremity, which extends from the ear clip 2 and the earpiece 3. The microphone element 6 is arranged such that, in use, the element 6 is located near the nose of the user (or near their mouth if they breathe out from the mouth) . Such an arrangement means that a microphone housed within the microphone element 6 is in a position to capture the sound or air pressure fluctuations as the user breathes. It will be appreciated that the boom 5 is longer than would conventionally be used with an ear clip.

The headset 1 may be arranged to communicate by way of direct or wireless communication with a device 7 (represented diagrammatically) that can process information received by the headset 1. This device 7 for processing information can be integral with the headset 7, being within the earpiece 3, or it may be a device that is remote from, yet in communication with the headset 1 for example a computer or a telephone or even a mobile phone (not shown in Figure 1) .

As mentioned, the headset 1 may be connected by a wireless link, such as a Bluetooth connection, to a central communication centre. A particular situation in which the headset could be used would be in a call centre where there are several users, each having their own headset that is linked to a central network, where information is stored and retrieved centrally.

The headset 1 may also include a user interface (not shown) to allow the user to control its operation for example by adjusting the audio volume level. It is also envisaged that there is a user control which can be operated so that the microphone sensitivity can be adjusted, for example if a person speaks quietly.

The microphone element 6 of the headset 1 captures the sound of the user's voice during the telephone conversation, but also detects the breath's airflow and noise caused by the user during breathing. For this reason there is no foam wind shield around the microphone element 6 (as would be present on some conventional microphones to suppress noise from wind or breath) . The microphone element 6 can hence be arranged to detect the breath from the user and in this way, the headset microphone acts as a breathing monitor to measure breathing patterns .

The processing device 7 receives the signals from the microphone, and processes them to provide a signal associated with the breath of the individual and to distinguish this from extraneous noise which is picked up by the microphone. By way of example this may require subjecting the signals to a low pass filter (as voice and music sounds tend to be of higher frequency than breath sounds), and may also entail converting the signals to a digital form either before or after such filtration.

Where a microphone is provided with a front-end high-pass filter (as may be provided to eliminate breath noise), it is clearly necessary to remove or deactivate this. By having the facility to distinguish a genuine signal from extraneous signals such as the sound of a person talking, coughing or sighing or possibly incident background noise, then a genuine representation of the breathing of the person can be obtained. The processor may utilise a variety of techniques to analyse the signals from the sensor. Examples of the process to filter and analyse the breathing are: using a low-pass filter for elimination of high frequencies; analysing the amplitude of the signal, finding the peak using standard methods which ignore local fluctuations; measuring times between peaks to analyse breathing length and rate; and differentiating between the exhalation part (the higher amplitude part), and the inhalation part (lower amplitude) . The information can be further analysed using functions such as autocorrelation, FFT, average, and standard deviation, and to deduce parameters such as the maximum and minimum breathing times in a specific interval, etc.

In many situations the microphone may be required to provide signals corresponding to voice, as well as to provide signals corresponding to the breath of the individual. Hence the signals may be provided to two parallel processing paths in the processing device 7, one of which provides an output signal corresponding to voice (or other desired sound), whereas the other processing path provides an output signal corresponding to breath. Hence the processing unit 7 has two output terminals, 8 and 9, output terminal 8 providing the breath signal and output terminal 9 providing the voice (or other desired sound) signal. As indicated above, typically the processing path for providing a sound signal would incorporate a high pass filter, whereas the processing path for providing an output signal corresponding to breath would incorporate a low pass filter.

It will be appreciated that because of the absence of a wind shield around the microphone element 6, it has a hard surface. The headset 1 also includes a baffle 10 clipped on to the flexible arm 5 and arranged to deflect exhaled air onto the microphone element 6. This baffle 10 may have a curved surface or other shape which increases the airflow or the pressure of the air on the microphone element 6. In this example a thermistor 11 is installed in the baffle 10 so that the exhaled air impacts on the thermistor 11. The signals from the thermistor 11 are affected by its temperature. The thermistor 11 hence enables exhaled air to be readily distinguished from inhaled air, as the exhaled air is warmer .

The processing device 7 receives signals from the thermistor 11, as well as those from the microphone 6. In a preferred arrangement the thermistor 11 is coupled to a circuit (not shown) which produces an output signal in the audio-frequency range, whose frequency varies with the electrical resistance of the thermistor 11, so that the output derived from the thermistor 11 is another audio stream. Hence the connection between the headset 1 and the processing device 7 may utilise a standard audio lead and socket, as used with stereo microphones, one channel carrying the signals from the microphone 6 and the other channel carrying the signals derived from the thermistor 11. The processing device 7 can analyse the signals from the thermistor 11 and those from the microphone element 6 in parallel.

When the user is using the headset 1 to make a telephone call, the system may be arranged such that breathing monitoring is performed only during the silent periods in the telephone call for example during the gaps in the user's conversation. In the same way, the system can also be used when a telephone call is not taking place and the user is simply wearing the headset 1. In these cases the sensitivity to the impact of breath on the sensor may be increased during those periods when there is no sound (other than that of breathing) . But alternatively breathing monitoring can also be performed at the same time as detecting speech. Hence the headset 1 can be used during the telephone conversation so that there is continuous monitoring of breathing by the individual. In this situation, the processor can distinguish between breathing of the individual and sound signals corresponding to the conversation.

As indicated above, the processing of the signals from the microphone element 6 may be carried out within the earpiece 3 or remotely, so that for example processing can be carried out within a mobile phone or by a remote computer. It may be convenient to carry out the first stage of signal processing - for example to amplify and to digitise the signals - within the earpiece 3, and subsequently transmit the digitised signals to an external processor 7 to perform the subsequent signal processing.

It has been found that many conventional types of microphone are suitable for use as the microphone element 6. Where there is a wind shield, this is removed before use; and if there is a high-pass filter to pre-process signals (to eliminate wind noise), this is removed or deactivated. Alternatively the microphone element 6 may be a special-purpose microphone for this purpose, sensitive to low frequencies, and may indeed incorporate a low-pass filter to pre-process signals (to at least partially eliminate background sounds) . Furthermore the microphone may also comprise a thermistor arranged to monitor the temperature of the airflow, and so to distinguish between in flowing and out flowing air, instead of providing the thermistor 11 within the baffle 10 as described above.

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a mobile phone 15 having a microphone 16. The microphone 16 is arranged to pick up the effect of air movements as an individual speaks or breathes, and in this case a signal processor (equivalent to the processor 7 described above) within the mobile phone 15 can extract a signal representing breath from background noise and provide an output signal that corresponds to the breathing input signal minus any extraneous "noise".

However, for more satisfactory measurements, the mobile phone 15 is connected by a lead (not shown) to a headset including a boom 5 and carrying a microphone element 6 and a thermistor 11, as described in relation to figure 1.

The mobile phone 15 can include a display screen 17 that can display breathing characteristics that have been calculated by the processor. This may be in the form of a graph, a chart or numerical values, which give information about parameters received, for example rate of breathing, volume of breath in and out or quality of the breath, for example length of inhalation and exhalation as stand alone values or relative to one another .

The mobile phone 15 may have a connector 18 that allows it to be connected to a large screen so that the information displayed on the mobile phone screen 17 can be expanded onto a large screen. In an alternative embodiment, the connector is a wireless connector so that data may be transmitted to a remote screen. This wireless communication may be, for example, by Bluetooth technology .

The mobile phone 15 also has a key pad 19 where information can be keyed into the device so that the display 17 may be altered or information about the user may be entered and held on a memory. This may be used to build up a breathing profile of the individual over a period of time. A particular advantage of such a system would be the fact that a facility could be provided where user data is stored and compared with data previously stored. This data can be used to build up a picture of breathing over a set period and the breathing pattern can be analysed to see if it is improving or not over a particular time period. The keys of the key pad 19 may be assigned different codes which can be programmed into the pad, and each code may be assigned to a particular type of display. The user can then decide which type of information they want to view about the user's breathing and press that key. An example would be where the top left hand key is assigned to providing a display of the amplitude of breath and if the appropriate key is pressed, this assigned display will be shown. Another key may be activated to give the rate of breathing, or to represent the breathing graphically over time.

It will be appreciated that the headset 1 shown in figure 1 (or indeed another type of headset with a boom microphone) may be connected, for example by a cable, to the mobile phone 15 shown in figure 2. In this case the signal processing role of the processing unit 7 may be fulfilled within the mobile phone 15, while the microphone element 6 takes the place of the microphone 16. This is desirable, as the microphone element 6 may be more sensitive to breath than the microphone 16, and because the boom can readily carry a temperature-sensing device such as a thermistor 11.

Figure 3 shows the type of information that can be provided for the breathing characteristics of a user. The display as shown is a simple display in that it shows the variations in breath signal (a) (such as air flow) with time (t) . The processor of the breathing monitor can be operated to process information stored in a memory and current data can therefore be compared with past data on the user's breathing, to give a picture of any changes in the type of breathing of the user. This may be a particularly useful tool if the user is taking medication, as the breathing monitor can be used to evaluate the effect of the medication on the breathing characteristics of the individual. On the display, optimum or target values can be shown, for example the maximum value (x) and the minimum value (y) for the breath signal. This can then give the user an indication of targets to achieve for their breathing patterns. For example, if an individual has a habit of shallow breathing, the values can be set at a level whereby over time, the depth of the breath can be increased. This can be achieved by instructing the individual to breathe in such a way as to achieve target values (x and y) , and by gradually changing the target values with time.

In this example the sensor provides a significantly larger signal during exhalation than during inhalation; the period (P) of the breathing cycle may be measured from the time t at the start of one exhalation peak to the start of the next exhalation peak, while the duration of exhalation (Pl) corresponds to the duration of the peak, while the duration of inhalation (P2) is the time interval between the end of one peak and the start of the next peak. This information can be used to train the user to breathe slowly and to increase the exhalation length .

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the method of operation of the invention, as regards the signals from the microphone element 6. At step A the breathing of the individual is measured by a sensor. The breathing parameter may be the frequency of respiration, the strength of the exhalation or other breathing parameters. The breathing parameter is measured as a result of the impact of the breath against the sensor (which as described above may be a microphone or a pressure transducer) . The signals from the sensor are supplied to an input circuit B that provides an amplified and digitised signal relating to the information received by the sensor, which may be not only the impact of breath caused by breathing, but also impact as a result of an individual speaking. A processor C removes extraneous input data that is not associated with breathing and provides an output signal D which correlates just to the breathing characteristics of the individual using the breathing monitor. (The steps indicated by B, C and D correspond to those carried out by the processing unit 7 of Figure 1.) This output signal D may be displayed by a display E which can then be viewed by the user or by a third party such as a medical practitioner. The display E may transmit the data to a remote device F such as a computer at for example a hospital or breathing clinic, for example a clinic that monitors people with asthma.

Further, input data G may be sent to the processor C and this can be taken into account when producing an output signal. The input data may include information about how the user's breathing pattern is changing or it may provide programmes that the user can follow to improve his or her breathing. An example would be that the input data could be provided as a set of instructions that include breathing exercises that the user can follow as part of a monitored and controlled programme to alter breathing habits. As breathing improves, or even if breathing patterns deteriorate, the data input can be changed according to the most recently detected parameters for that individual, so providing a constantly updated and user-specific programme.

Preferably the signal from the input circuit B is also provided in parallel to another processor H, which provides an output signal J indicative of voice or other desired sounds picked up by the sensor. (The output signals D and J correspond to those output at terminals 8 and 9 as shown in Figure 1. ) In some cases the processor C may provide both the output signal D indicative of breath and the output signal J indicative of sounds .

It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are given by way of example only and are not intended to limit the invention, the scope of which is determined by the attached claims. It is to be understood that the features described in one embodiment of the invention can be used either individually or collectively in other embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A breathing monitor comprising a sensor for sensing airflow from an individual's breath and for converting it to electronic signals, the sensor comprising a microphone without a wind shield, and a temperature-sensing device, and the sensor being held by a flexible boom in proximity to the individual's nose or mouth; and a processor to which the electronic signals are fed, the processor filtering the signals and differentiating between breathing signals corresponding to expiration and/or inspiration, and sound signals corresponding to external sounds and/or the individual's voice, and providing an output signal corresponding to the breathing signals, said output signal representing one or more breathing characteristics of the individual.

2. A breathing monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boom is connected to a headset or an earpiece.

3. A breathing monitor as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the processor provides a first output signal corresponding to the breathing signals and a second output signal corresponding to the sound signals.

4. A breathing monitor as claimed in claim 3, including an amplifier to amplify the signals received from the sensor .

5. A breathing monitor as claimed in any of the preceding claims which also includes an air flow guide which makes it more sensitive to exhalation or inhalation .

6. A breathing monitor as claimed in claim 5 wherein the temperature-sensing device is incorporated in the air flow guide.

7. A breathing monitor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the temperature-sensing device is connected to an output circuit to provide an output signal in the audio-frequency range indicative of the sensed temperature, such that the electronic signals fed to the processor comprise at least two audio signal channels .

8. A breathing monitor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the output signal is output in the form of one or more of a visible display, an audible signal, or a combination of both.

9. A breathing monitor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein if the characteristics fall outside desirable values, a warning is emitted.

10. A breathing monitor according to any one of the preceding claims, having data input means to receive data from an external source.

11. A breathing monitor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the processor is incorporated within a mobile telephone, the mobile telephone being connected to the sensor for monitoring breathing of an individual.

12. A method of monitoring the breathing of an individual, wherein one or more parameters resulting from an individual's breath are measured using a sensor comprising a microphone without a wind shield, and a temperature-sensing device, and the sensor being held by a flexible boom in proximity to the individual's nose or mouth; a value is given for the measured parameter and noise associated with the individual's breathing, the noise is removed from the said value, and an output is produced which is indicative of one or more breathing characteristics of the individual.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein input data is transmitted to the processor so that a breathing exercise is presented to the individual, and wherein the breathing exercise is updated in accordance with the monitored breathing characteristics of the individual.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon processor-implementable instructions for controlling a processor to implement the process of monitoring breathing of an individual by the method of claim 12 or claim 13.