Handheld home monitoring sensors network device

• US 10,478,115 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SpiroFriend Aid Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Spirofriend Technology ApS
• Inventors: Avrahamson, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bloch, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US11/576,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 5,159 Days
• Field of Search: 600529-543, 600586
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Light weight personal handheld home monitoring and managing device, which includes a Sound Sensor network/array of Sound Sensor networks combined with an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and a build in system and methods, making this device an intelligent and portable apparatus to address specific health issues. The combined apparatus is used for managing and/or guidance and/or diagnosing and/or controlling and managing purposes. This present version of the apparatus will address pulmonary disorders and diseases or similar ailments.

Claims

1. A device for obtaining a parameter for nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air, said device comprising:

a housing defining a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, said conduit comprising a Gaussian surface for collecting condensate from the exhaled air, the Gaussian surface formed such that condensate is collected on the Gaussian surface, the conduit further comprising a thermo-electric device arranged for cooling the conduit to generate the condensate from the exhaled air, the conduit further comprising a sensor, said sensor being disposed on the Gaussian surface, said sensor for determining said parameter in the condensate on the Gaussian surface and for generating an electrical signal representing said parameter based on airflow generated by a person blowing in said conduit at said inlet such that the airflow contacts the Gaussian surface and forms the condensate, said sensor having an electrical output for outputting said electrical signal,

an analog-to-digital converter having a converter input and a converter output, said converter input being electrically connected to said electrical output of said sensor such that the electrical signal is converted to a digital signal by the analog-to-digital converter, and

a processor having a first digital input and a second digital input and a first digital output, said first digital input of said processor being electrically connected to said converter output for receiving said digital signal,

wherein said sensor is a NO sensor capable of measuring NO in condensate of exhaled air.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit having a digital input and a digital output, said digital output of said memory unit connected to said second digital input of said processor for transmitting previously stored reference values identified in a hierarchy.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said processor establishing on a basis of said reference values and on a basis of values derived from said digital signal received from said analog-to-digital converter, a health state of said person and presenting information relating to said health state to said person and storing said health state in said hierarchy.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data representing physiological information determined by external units.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sound sensor.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sound sensor measures ultra sound.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a temperature sensor, an air pressure sensor, and a moisture sensor.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for measuring a second parameter selected from the group consisting of:

pH, H₂O₂, CO, O₂, and CO₂ in condensate of exhaled air.

9. A method for obtaining a physiological parameter regarding an individual using a device comprising:

providing a housing defining a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, said conduit comprising a Gaussian surface that is arranged to collect condensate from exhaled air on a tip of the Gaussian surface,

providing at least one sensor capable of measuring nitric oxide (NO) in said condensate of exhaled air for determining said physiological parameter;

mounting said sensor at the tip of the Gaussian surface;

providing a thermo-electric device disposed in the conduit such that the thermo-electric device cools the Gaussian surface;

cooling the Gaussian surface, thereby generating condensate from the exhaled air;

collecting the condensate from exhaled air on the at least one sensor;

generating an electrical sensor signal representing NO in said condensate;

outputting the electrical sensor signal from said sensor,

converting the electrical sensor signal to a digital signal;

receiving said digital signal at a first digital input of a processor.

10. A device for obtaining a parameter for nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air, the device comprising:

a housing defining a conduit having an inlet fluidly coupled to an outlet, the conduit comprising;

a Gaussian surface formed on an internal wall of the conduit between the inlet and the outlet,

a thermo-electric device, and

an NO sensor comprising an electrical output, the NO sensor disposed on the Gaussian surface such that the exhaled air is cooled by the thermo-electric device, forming condensate on the Gaussian surface and collecting at the NO sensor, which causes the NO sensor to generate an electrical signal that corresponds to the parameter and output the electrical signal via the electrical output;

an analog-to-digital converter having a converter input and a converter output, the converter input being electrically coupled to the electrical output of the NO sensor such that the electrical signal is received from the NO sensor and converted to a digital signal;

a processor electrically coupled to the converter output of the analog-to-digital converter; and

a non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor, the non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium comprising one or more programming instructions thereon that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive the digital signal,

determine the parameter from the digital signal, and

generate data corresponding to the parameter.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising at least one of a temperature sensor, an air pressure sensor, and a moisture sensor.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising a second sensor for measuring a second parameter selected from the group consisting of:

pH, H₂O₂, CO, O₂, and CO₂ in condensate of exhaled air.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein:

the Gaussian surface comprises a tip; and

the NO sensor is disposed on the tip of the Gaussian surface.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium further comprises one or more additional programming instructions thereon that, when executed, cause the processor to display the data on a display in wired or wireless communication with the processor.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the display is a mobile phone display.