Feasibility of a portable respiratory training system with a gyroscope sensor

Abstract

Objectives: A portable respiratory training system with a gyroscope sensor (GRTS) was developed and the feasibility of respiratory training was evaluated.

Methods: Simulated respiratory waveforms from a respiratory motion phantom and actual respirator waveforms from volunteers were acquired using the GRTS and Respiratory Gating for Scanners system (RGSC). Respiratory training was evaluated by comparing the stability and reproducibility of respiratory waveforms from patients undergoing liver stereotactic body radiation therapy, with and without the GRTS. The stability and reproducibility of respiratory waveforms were assessed by root mean square error and gold marker placement-based success rate of expiratory breath-hold, respectively.

Results: The absolute mean difference for sinusoidal waveforms between the GRTS and RGSC was 2.1%. Among volunteers, the mean percentages of errors within ±15% of the respiratory waveforms acquired by the GRTS and RGSC were 95.5% for free breathing and 80.7% for expiratory breath-hold. The mean root mean square error and success rate of expiratory breath-hold (standard deviation) with and without the GRTS were 0.65 (0.24) and 0.88 (0.89) cm, and 91.0% (6.9) and 89.1% (11.6), respectively.

Conclusions: Respiratory waveforms acquired by the GRTS exhibit good agreement with waveforms acquired by the RGSC. Respiratory training with the GRTS reduces inter-patient variability in respiratory waveforms, thereby improving the success of expiratory breath-hold liver stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Advances in knowledge: A respiratory training system with a gyroscope sensor is inexpensive and portabl, making it ideal for respiratory training. This is the first report concerning clinical implementation of a respiratory training system.

Keywords: expiratory breath-hold; gyroscope sensor; respiratory training.