Scientists at the University of Oxford have developed technology that improves the way breathing rate (BR) is estimated using data from a wrist-worn wearable or a separate accelerometer, in addition to the waveform data from pulse oximetry.

By incorporating information from the accelerometer, the accuracy of BR estimation is improved, especially during periods of activity when data is typically considered too noisy. This is important for wearables as their data is often noisy. The invention uses signal processing methods to correct the photoplethysmogram or PPG during motion and to provide complementary BR information both with and without motion.