Method and device for detecting functional and metabolic data of a living organism

• US 20040133353A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texmed GmbH
• Original Assignee: Texmed GmbH
• Inventors: Geutebrück, Ernst
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• 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 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1468 using chemical or electrochemical methods, e.g. by polarographic means A61B5/1486 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting functional detecting functional data of a living organism, and a device for carrying out said method. The aim of the invention is to carry out a pain-free control of the corporeal values of a living organism in a simple manner, said control being able to be carried out as often as required. Ten influence of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical and electromagnetic fields and the changing resulting therefrom are determined. Electrodes which are used alternately as sensors and as actuators detect values and transmit the same to a downstream data detection which is embodied in an expedient manner.

Claims

1. Method for mobile or in-patient detecting corporeal functional and metabolic data of a living organism characterized by the fact that there is a substance in a test person which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields in the organism of these test person, that the change of natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields as physical parameters is detected by electrodes which alternately are used as sensor and as actuator and are related to the skin surface of a test person, that the detected signals are registered and stored, that the stored signals are input in data processing equipment, that sum values are formed from the determined signals on the basis of their course of time, and that these sum values are provided for the computer-aided determination and evaluation of a substance which supports the influencing of existing natural electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the collection of change of the natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is carried out continuously.

3. Method according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the collection of change of the natural and not natural electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is carried out discontinuously.

4. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 3 characterized by the fact that the effect of the electrodes, which can be used as sensor and as actuator, on relevant skin areas occurs partially.

5. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 3 characterized by the fact that the effect of the electrodes, which can be used as sensor and as actuator, on relevant skin areas occurs globally.

6. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 5 characterized by the fact that the detecting the change of natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields occurs point-like.

7. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 5 characterized by the fact that the detecting the change of natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields occurs in the form of a line.

8. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 5 characterized by the fact that the detecting the change of natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields occurs in the form of an area.

9. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 8 characterized by the fact that the considered physical parameter is the field strength.

10. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 9 characterized by the fact that the considered physical parameter is the density of field lines.

11. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 10 characterized by the fact that the considered physical parameter is a potential difference.

12. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 11 characterized by the fact that the considered physical parameter is the amperage.

13. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 12 characterized by the fact that the considered physical parameter is the electric voltage.

14. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 13 characterized by the fact that the detected signals are provided for diagrams.

15. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 14 characterized by the fact that parallel reflected signals are detected adequately to the body temperature.

16. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 15 characterized by the fact that parallel reflected signals are detected adequately to the skin resistance.

17. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 16 characterized by the fact that parallel reflected signals are detected adequately to gas exchange through the skin per time unit.

18. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is lactate.

19. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is alcohol.

20. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is cholesterin.

21. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is stearin.

22. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is protein.

23. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields are drugs.

24. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields are blood lipids.

25. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is glucose.

26. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 17 characterized by the fact that the substance which supports the influencing of existing natural and artificial electric, electrochemical, and electromagnetic fields is blood sugar.

27. Device for realization of the method according to one of the claims 1 to 26 characterized by the fact that electrodes (1) are arranged which are related to the skin surface of a test person and can be used as sensor and as actuator and which are electrically/electronically connected with an analog changeover facility (2) arranged before an operational amplifier stage (3, 4), which further are connected with the impedance preamplifier (3) for conditioning and an analog-digital converter (8) with an after connected digital signal processor (5), and that this processor is connected with a computer system stage for processing of the normalized and digitized measuring values.

28. Device according to claim 27, characterized by the fact that individual components are arranged separately.

29. Device according to claim 27 or claim 28 characterized by the fact that the components are arranged separately are designed in that way that the data is transmitted wireless.

30. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 29 characterized by the fact that the components are designed in that way that they transmit the data via an optical communication interface.

31. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 30 characterized by the fact that the electrodes (1), which can be used as sensor and as actuator, are arranged in groups.

32. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 31 characterized by the fact that the electrodes (1), which can be used as sensor and as actuator, are arranged in groups in a matrix.

33. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 32 characterized by the fact that at least individual components of the system are implanted in the body of a test person.

34. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 33 characterized by the fact that the operational amplifier stage is adapted to the physical properties of the electrodes.

35. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 34 characterized by the fact that the analog-digital converter (8) with the digital signal processor (5) is designed scalably according to the number of the used primary contacts.

36. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 35 characterized by the fact that the computer system stage is designed scalably.

37. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 36 characterized by the fact that the computer system stage is designed in that way that it controls the generator (7) for the adaptive stimulation and with this the changeover between sensor and actuator operation.

38. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 37 characterized by the fact that a display (10) is arranged after the computer system stage.

39. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 38 characterized by the fact that the computer system stage has an integrated storage unit (12).

40. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 39 characterized by the fact that the operational amplifier stage (3;

4) has an adaptive filter element (4) for the elimination of recognized interferences.

41. Device according to claim 40 characterized by the fact that the adaptive filter element (4) is designed as a multistage type.

42. Device according to one of the claims 27 to 41 characterized by the fact that the computer system stage is connected with a depot regulator and controls it.

43. Device according to claim 42 characterized by the fact that the depot regulator is arranged within the living organism.

44. Device according to claim 42 characterized by the fact that the depot regulator is arranged outside the living organism.