Pregnancy monitoring devices, systems, and related methods

• US 10,165,973 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US14/936,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 600553
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4343 Pregnancy and labour monitoring, e.g. for labour onset detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7214 using signal cancellation, e.g. based on input of two identical physiological sensors spaced apart, or based on two signals derived from the same sensor, for different optical wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring pregnancy of a female pregnant subject. For example, a pregnancy monitoring system can detect movement or motion of a pregnant subject and/or of the fetus in the pregnant subject. Additionally or alternatively, the pregnancy monitoring system can detect internal and/or external source loads applied to the pregnant subject. In an embodiment, the pregnancy monitoring system can compare and/or correlate two or more loads, one to another (e.g., to produce an output that is at least partially based on such comparison and that is related to the wellbeing of the pregnant subject and/or of the fetus). For example, the pregnancy monitoring system can include a controller that is configured to determine and compare two or more loads based on signals received from one or more sensors that can be positioned on the pregnant subject.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a pregnant subject, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals related to;

at least an external source load received by the pregnant subject;

an internal source load received by the pregnant subject; and

motion of the pregnant subject; and

a controller including memory and control electrical circuitry operably coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to receive the one or more signals therefrom, the control electrical circuitry configured to;

distinguish motion of the pregnant subject from the external source load based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors and to generate an output related to one or more of the external source load or the motion of the pregnant subject;

determine an impact event when the external source load exceeds a threshold load;

based at least partially on the one or more signals related to the internal source load received by the pregnant subject, generate information related to one or more of a position of a fetus in the pregnant subject, a motion of the fetus, or an orientation of the fetus;

correlate the motion of the pregnant subject with the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject; and

compare data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored before the impact event, to data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored after the impact event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to the one or more signals, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate an alert including one or more of an indication for the pregnant subject to start motion or for the pregnant subject to stop motion.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to the one or more signals, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate an alert including one or more of an indication for the pregnant subject to increase motion or for the pregnant subject to decrease motion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the output includes one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of the fetus in the pregnant subject.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert at least partially based on the comparison of the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored before the impact event, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored after the impact event.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a personal electronic device having a display, wherein the controller is configured to display the output from the controller on the display of the personal electronic device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is configured to display one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of the fetus in the pregnant subject, the one or more recommendations being based at least partially on the output from the controller received at the electronic device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert when one or more of the internal source load or the external source load are below or exceed a threshold load.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one motion sensor configured to sense the motion of the pregnant subject and at least one load-sensitive sensor configured to sense the external source load.

10. The system of claim 1, further including one or more load-sensitive elements configured to generate an indication that the external source load exceeds the threshold load.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more load-sensitive elements includes a dye capsule configured to release a dye responsive to the external source load exceeding the threshold value.

12. A wearable system for monitoring a pregnant subject, the wearable system comprising:

one or more wearable elements sized and configured to be worn by the pregnant subject;

one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals related to;

an external source load received by the pregnant subject;

an internal source load received by the pregnant subject; and

motion of the pregnant subject, at least one of the one or more sensors carried by the one or more wearable elements; and

a controller including memory and control electrical circuitry operably coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to receive the one or more signals therefrom, the control electrical circuitry configured to;

distinguish motion of the pregnant subject from the external source load based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors and to generate an output related to one or more of the external source load or the motion of the pregnant subject;

determine an impact event when the external source load exceeds a threshold load;

based at least partially on the one or more signals related to the internal source load received by the pregnant subject, generate information related to one or more of a position of a fetus in the pregnant subject, a motion of the fetus, or an orientation of the fetus;

correlate the motion of the pregnant subject with the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject; and

compare data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored before the impact event, to data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored after the impact event.

13. The wearable system of claim 12, wherein responsive to the one or more signals, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate an alert including one or more of an indication for the pregnant subject to start motion or for the pregnant subject to stop motion.

14. The wearable system of claim 12, wherein responsive to the one or more signals, the control electrical circuitry of the controller is configured to generate an alert including one or more of an indication for the pregnant subject to increase motion or for the pregnant subject to decrease motion.

15. The wearable system of claim 12, wherein the output includes one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of the fetus in the pregnant subject.

16. The wearable system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert at least partially based on the comparison of the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored before the impact event, to the data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored after the impact event.

17. The wearable system of claim 12, further including a personal electronic device having a display, wherein the controller is configured to display the output from the controller on the display of the personal electronic device.

18. The wearable system of claim 17, wherein the electronic device is configured to display one or more recommendations related to one or more of a health of the pregnant subject or a health of the fetus in the pregnant subject, the one or more recommendations being based at least partially on the output from the controller received at the electronic device.

19. The wearable system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to generate an alert when one or more of the external source load or the internal source load are below or exceed the threshold load.

20. The wearable system of claim 12, further including one or more load-sensitive elements configured to generate an indication that the external source load exceeds the threshold load.

21. The wearable system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the one or more load-sensitive elements includes a dye capsule configured to release a dye responsive to the external source load exceeding the threshold load.

22. A method of monitoring a pregnant subject, the method comprising:

at a controller, receiving one or more signals from one or more sensors, the one or more signals being related to at least an external source load received by the pregnant subject, an internal source load received by the pregnant subject, and motion of the pregnant subject;

at the controller, distinguishing motion of the pregnant subject from the external source load received by the pregnant subject based at least partially on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors;

at the controller, determining at least the external source load applied to the subject at least partially based on the one or more signals from one or more sensors;

at the controller and based at least partially on the one or more signals related to the internal source load, generating information related to one or more of a position of a fetus in the pregnant subject, a motion of the fetus, or an orientation of the fetus;

at the controller, correlating the motion of the pregnant subject with the motion of the fetus in the pregnant subject;

at memory associated with the controller, storing data related to at least one of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject;

at the controller, determining an impact event when the external source load exceeds a threshold load;

at the controller, comparing data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored before the impact event, to data that is related to one or more of the motion of the fetus or the motion of the pregnant subject, and which is stored after the impact event; and

at the controller, generating an output related to;

at least one of the external source load or the internal source load; and

the motion of the fetus and the motion of the pregnant subject, as correlated.

23. The method of claim 22, further including generating an alert when one or more of the internal source load or the external source load exceed the threshold load.