Medical Device Research Institute, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia.
National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Biosensors (Basel). 2024 Nov 4;14(11):532. doi: 10.3390/bios14110532.
High-quality sleep is essential for both physiological and cognitive functions. However, periodic leg movements of sleep (PLMS), an involuntary phenomenon during sleep, affects millions of people worldwide, contributing to sleep fragmentation and functional impairments. The accurate monitoring of PLMS is important for identifying and addressing these issues. Traditional methods, such as polysomnography (PSG), which monitor the bare tibialis muscle movements in clinical environments, may not adequately reflect the natural sleep patterns at home. They are costly and unsuitable for long-term studies. In recent years, there has been growing interest in using flexible sensors for sleep monitoring. Previous studies have applied triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as flexible sensors to detect muscle movements during sleep. However, distinguishing true PLMS from false signals caused by external factors, such as blankets, remains a challenge. This study proposes a method using three TENG sensors placed on the dorsum, ankle, and tibialis, respectively, along with signal processing techniques to enhance the accuracy of PLMS detection. This study provides a cost-effective, comfortable method for PLMS monitoring, with the potential for widespread use in home-based sleep studies and long-term care in the future.
高质量的睡眠对于生理和认知功能都至关重要。然而，睡眠周期性肢体运动（PLMS）是睡眠期间的一种无意识现象，影响着全球数百万人，导致睡眠碎片化和功能障碍。准确监测 PLMS 对于识别和解决这些问题非常重要。传统的方法，如多导睡眠图（PSG），在临床环境中监测裸胫骨肌肉运动，可能无法充分反映在家中的自然睡眠模式。它们成本高，不适合长期研究。近年来，人们越来越感兴趣地使用柔性传感器进行睡眠监测。以前的研究已经应用摩擦纳米发电机（TENG）作为柔性传感器来检测睡眠期间的肌肉运动。然而，将真正的 PLMS 与由毯子等外部因素引起的假信号区分开来仍然是一个挑战。本研究提出了一种方法，使用三个分别放置在背部、脚踝和胫骨上的 TENG 传感器，以及信号处理技术来提高 PLMS 检测的准确性。本研究提供了一种经济实惠、舒适的 PLMS 监测方法，有望在未来的家庭睡眠研究和长期护理中得到广泛应用。
