Toilet with a health monitoring torso belt

• US 10,165,980 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hall Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Hall, David R., Allen, Dan, Swenson, Ben, Hall, Huntington Tracy, Fox, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US15/196,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20180000417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 13/24 Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22, e.g. devices imparting a swinging or vibrating motion to the seats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/40 Positioning of patients, e.g. means for holding or immobilising parts of the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4227 characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators

Abstract

A toilet torso belt with sensors is disclosed. The torso belt is used by a toilet user while the toilet user is using the toilet to take health measurement readings of the user. Dynamic heart stress readings may be obtained and monitored over weeks, months and years. Rolling averages of heart function and heart health may be determined and deviations from the rolling averages may trigger notifications. Other health related measurements and functions such as temperature, respirations, heart rate, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and stethoscope sounds are also recorded and stored for trending and data analysis. An adjustable tensioner compresses the torso belt against the user'"'"'s torso with a sufficient force based on the user'"'"'s height, weight, sex, and age, and whether the sensors are against the user'"'"'s skin or clothing, to allow the sensors to take measurements of the user.

Claims

1. A toilet, comprising

a user toilet seat, the user toilet seat comprising one or more sensors;

a torso belt;

a torso belt tensioner;

one or more sensors attached to the torso belt, the torso belt configured to extend across a torso of a user while the user is sitting on the toilet;

wherein the one or more sensors comprise a motion sensor or strain sensor configured to detect and transmit signals indicative of a user bearing down;

wherein the one or more sensors comprise removable electrodes configured to obtain electrocardiogram measurements indicative of the user bearing down;

wherein the torso belt tensioner is configured to compress the torso belt against the torso of the user while the user is on the toilet seat with sufficient force to allow the one or more sensors to measure the user of the toilet.

2. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt comprises one or more electrocardiogram sensors, ultrasonic imaging sensors, or bio-impedance sensors.

3. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt comprises one or more acoustic imaging sensors.

4. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt comprises a microphone or a stethoscope.

5. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt comprises an electrocardiogram sensor, and ultrasonic sensor, and a microphone.

6. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the sufficient force is in the range of about 2. 5 N to about 35 N per linear belt inch.

7. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the tensioner provides a variable force against the torso of the user based upon sensors selected by the user and upon the user'"'"'s height, weight, sex, and age.

8. The toilet of claim 1 wherein the torso belt further comprises a height adjustment mechanism.

9. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt further comprises a defibrillator.

10. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt diagonally extends across a torso of the toilet user.

11. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt horizontally extends across a torso of the toilet user.

12. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt comprises wires connecting the one or more sensors to a wireless transceiver.

13. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt is configured to retract or extend by rolling up or by rolling out.

14. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the torso belt comprises a buckle mechanism that attaches to a base of the toilet or to a tank of the toilet.

15. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the removable electrodes are configured to obtain bio-impedance measurements.

16. The toilet according to claim 15, wherein the removable electrodes are configured to obtain both electrocardiogram measurements and bio-impedance measurements.

17. The toilet of claim 1, wherein the removable electrodes are configured to defibrillate a heart of the toilet user while sitting on the toilet.

18. A toilet comprising:

a torso belt comprising one or more sensors that are configured to measure a toilet user while the toilet user is using the toilet;

wherein the one or more sensors comprise a motion sensor or a strain sensor configured to detect signals indicative of a user bearing down;

wherein the one or more sensors comprise removable electrodes configured to obtain electrocardiogram measurements indicative of the user bearing down; and

a user toilet seat, the user toilet set comprising one or more sensors.