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Posted: 20th June 2024

Millimetre-wave technology could estimate primates' heart rates
Millimetre-wave radar technology could be less invasive and more accurate.
The technology could better monitor primate heart rates.

Researchers in Japan have conducted a study, which suggests that millimetre-wave radar technology could measure the heart rates of primates.

The discovery could result in a less invasive method of heart rate monitoring, providing an easier method for checking wild and captive primates for heart conditions.

As with many animals, a primate’s heart rate can provide an important vital sign to their general health. With heart disease a major cause of death among captive primates, effective heart rate monitoring can help veterinary surgeons identify symptoms early.

Heart rate monitoring also plays a significant role in animal cognitive studies, allowing scientists to observe how chimpanzees’ heart rates change under different psychological stimuli.

Existing methods for monitoring primate heart rates include attaching a wireless device to the subject, which monitors and transmits its heart rate remotely. This technique is limited by the risks involved in installing the device, which requires anaesthesia, and the potential for stress for the primate and its group.

Another technique requires researchers to observe the chimpanzees through a video feed, and estimate the heart rate based on this. This has proven to be inaccurate, due to lighting conditions and the animal's movements.

The use of millimetre-wave radar technology could provide a less invasive and more accurate way to measure chimpanzees’ heart rates.

The proposed approach saw scientists aiming high-frequency electromagnetic pulses at the chest of the animal, and capturing the echoes it causes. These echoes can then be used to estimate the primate’s heart rate, using a specialised algorithm.

The method was tested on two adult chimpanzees at Kumamoto Sanctuary, with the results compared to measurements obtained using traditional electrocardiography.

Results from the new millimetre-wave method were found to closely match those from the ECG.

Dr Takuya Matsumoto, the study lead, said: “Despite chimpanzees having muscular bodies, which raised uncertainties about measuring their heart rate in a similar manner to measurements in humans, the results of this study demonstrated the feasibility of non-contact heart rate measurements through the analysis of subtle body surface movements.

“These findings could expand the potential applications of such techniques in studies of animal psychology and wild primatology.”

The full study can be found in the American Journal of Primatology.

Image © Shutterstock



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