Bioelectric telemetering system and method

• US 20040111042A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andre Fenton, Imre Szabo, Kalman Mathe
• Original Assignee: Andre Fenton, Imre Szabo, Kalman Mathe
• Inventors: Fenton, Andre, Szabo, Imre, Mathe, Kalman
• Application Number:
  US10/314,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• 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 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof

Abstract

Bioelectrical activity in a living animal subject is monitored by detecting the bioelectrical signals at a number of points multiplexing the electrical signals and transmitting a multiplexed stream by cellular telephone circuitry. The received data stream is then demultiplexed and monitored to allow the activity at the points on the animal subject to be monitored.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring neuronal activity comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting electrodes to neural activity points of an animal subject and obtaining analog signals representing activity at said points;

(b) securing to said animal subject a cellular telephone apparatus having audio analog-to-digital converters capable of digitizing and multiplexing two analog inputs each into respective single digital data streams and a gigahertz radiofrequency transmitter for said data streams and connecting said audio analog-to-digital converters to said electrodes, whereby digital data streams representing digitized and multiplexed signals from said electrodes are transmitted by said apparatus;

(c) at a receiver separated from said animal subject receiving the digital data streams transmitted by said apparatus, demultiplexing channels of the received digital data streams to produce digital channels corresponding to the analog inputs, and converting said digital channels to analog outputs; and

(d) recording said analog outputs in a multichannel analog recorder having recording channels assigned to the respective electrodes.

2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of multiplexing the single digital data streams supplied to said gigahertz radio frequency transmitter.

3. The method defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of processing the received digital data stream of step (c) to monitor the activity at said points.

4. An apparatus for monitoring neuronal activity comprising:

a multiplicity of electrodes connected to neural activity points of an animal subject and obtaining analog signals representing activity at said points;

a cellular telephone apparatus mounted on said animal subject and having audio analog-to-digital converters connected to said electrodes and each capable of digitizing and multiplexing two analog inputs each into respective single digital data streams, and a gigahertz radiofrequency transmitter for said data streams and connected to said audio analog-to-digital converters, whereby digital data streams representing digitized and multiplexed signals from said electrodes are transmitted by said apparatus;

a receiver separated from said animal subject receiving the digital data streams transmitted by said apparatus, and provided with a demultiplexer for demultiplexing channels of the received digital data streams to produce digital channels corresponding to the analog inputs, and digital-to-analog converters for converting said digital channels to analog outputs; and

a multichannel analog recorder connected to said receiver and having recording channels assigned to the respective electrodes.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein each of said electrons is connected to an operational amplifier common-mode voice-reduction stage.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5, further comprising at least one further multiplexer for multiplexing a plurality of said signal digital data streams prior to transmission by said apparatus.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, further comprising a digital signal processor receiving said digital data streams for monitoring the neural activity at said points.

8. A method of monitoring bioelectrical activity in a living animal subject comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting electrodes to points of a living animal subject having bioelectrical activity and obtaining analog electrical signals representing said activity at said points;

(b) multiplexing electrical signals obtained at said points and transmitting a data stream represented by the multiplexed signals through a cellular telephone circuit to a receiver;

(c) demultiplexing a received data stream at said receiver; and

(d) monitoring the activity at said points based upon the demultiplexed data stream.