0.25 (*mm CMOS and BiCMOS Single Chip Direct Conversion Doppler Radars for nRemote Sensing of Vital Signs

Devices that allow physicians to monitor critical health parameters remotely decrease medical costs and enable chronic patients to lead more normal lives. A microwave Doppler radar can be used as a non-invasive, non-contacting heart and respiration rate sensor [1], and can be realized in a small, portable device [2]. This remote sensing can be implemented with wireless telecommunications components and devices, which reduces development costs and could facilitate the transfer of patient data to health care professionals via existing communications networks [3]. Two Doppler radars operating at 1.6 GHz were fabricated using Agere 0.25 (*mm CMOS and BiCMOS processes, with inductor Q's below 10. These are the first direct conversion radars integrated in low cost silicon technologies, as well as the first single chip radios used for the remote sensing of vital signs.