Patent ID: 8428696

Claim:
Apparatus for monitoring vital signs of one or more living subjects, the apparatus comprising: a monitoring station; at least one sensor in communication with the monitoring station, the sensor comprising: an antenna system for transmitting output electromagnetic radiation into a corresponding sensing volume, receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation and generating therefrom an electronic antenna system receive signal; an ultra wideband radar system coupled to tine antenna system for receiving the antenna system receive signal and generating therefrom a radar system receive signal; a signal processor connected to receive the radar system receive signal from the ultra wideband radar system and configured to extract, from the radar system receive signal, information about one or more vital signs of a person or animal in the sensing volume; and a communication system configured to transmit the information to the monitoring station; wherein the antenna system comprises: a generally planar substrate and at least one antenna, the at least one antenna comprising: a first element on a first side of the generally planar substrate; and a second element on a second side of the generally planar substrate opposed to the first side, wherein each of the first and second elements are symmetrical about a centre line.