Method and device for measuring physiological parameters at the wrist

• US 20050116820A1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medic4all AG
• Original Assignee: Medic4all AG
• Inventors: Goldreich, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 7,598,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A wrist-mounted device for measuring at least one physiological parameter of a subject. The present invention enables such a measurement to preferably be transformed into clinically useful information about the subject. Such information may then optionally be sent to medical personnel, for example at a contact and/or monitoring center, through a gateway device. The gateway device preferably communicates with the wrist-mounted device of the present invention through a wireless communication channel.

Claims

1. A device for measuring at least one physiological parameter of a subject, comprising:

(a) a fastening article for being fastened to the subject;

(b) at least one sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter of the subject;

(c) a processor for receiving a signal from said sensor and for converting said at least one measurement to form medical information; and

(d) a communication unit for at least receiving said medical information from said processor and for at least transmitting said medical information.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said sensor is an analog sensor, the device further comprising an A/D (analog to digital) converter for receiving an analog signal from said sensor and for converting said analog signal to a digital signal, said digital signal being sent to said processor.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said analog to digital converter is an integrated as part of said processor.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein a rate of sampling by said A/D converter is determined by said processor.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said rate of sampling is at least partially determined according to a type of physiological parameter being measured.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the fastening article is fastened to the subject'"'"'s wrist and said sensor is in contact with at least a portion of said wrist and said sensor is attached to said fastening article.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said physiological parameter is heart-related.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said physiological parameter includes at least one of heart rate and blood pressure and wherein said measurement is performed substantially without blocking the blood flow in the artery.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of a piezoceramic transducer, a piezoelectric transducer and a resistive strain gauge.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein said sensor comprises a combination of an anvil, a protrusion and a piezoceramic transducer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said transducer generates measurable electrical pulses corresponding to detected blood pressure pulses.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein said physiological parameter includes irregularity in heart rate.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein said physiological parameter includes breathing rate.

14. The device of claim 7, wherein said physiological parameter includes at least one of arrhythmia and overall cardiac rhythm.

15. The device of claim 6, wherein said physiological parameter is electrochemically related.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said plurality of sensors comprises three separate conductive areas on the surface of said device which are able to measure electrical activity of said subject.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one conductive area comprises an anvil.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein said physiological parameter is an electro cardiogram (ECG).

20. The device of claim 19 whereby said ECG information is extracted from said three conductive areas by using the signal of one electrode as a reference and amplifying the differential voltage between the other two electrodes.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein said physiological parameter is tonus activity.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein said the at least one physiological parameter is selected from a group consisting of heart rate;

regularity in heart rate;

breathing rate;

arrhythmia of the heart, and overall rhythm of the heart.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein said processor extracts the pulse wave transit time information from the ECG signal in view of the blood pressure pulse signal.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein said physiological parameter is oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2).

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a SpO2 sensor.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said SpO2 sensor comprises two light sources and a photoelectric detector.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein said light sources are LEDs (light emitting diodes).

28. The device of claim 27, wherein one of said light sources emits infrared band light and the other emits red-band light.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein light from said light sources is reflected from the subject onto said photoelectric detector, wherein said photoelectric detector converts said light to an electronic signal processed by said processor.

30. The device of claim 25, further comprising a flexible support for supporting said SpO2 sensor.

31. The device of claim 25, further comprising flexible, opaque material for surrounding said SpO2 sensor.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein said information includes information that is heart related.

33. The device of claim 1, wherein said physiological parameter includes body movements.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein said body movements include presence of abnormal body movements.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein said at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer.

36. The device of claim 1, wherein said physiological parameter includes body temperature.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

38. The device of claim 36, wherein said temperature sensor is associated with said fastening article and the temperature sensor is communicatively coupled to the processor.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein said temperature sensor is inserted into the armpit of said subject for said temperature measurement.

40. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) a non-volatile memory for storing at least one instruction for execution by said processor.

41. The device of claim 1, wherein said communication unit also transmits a device identifier for uniquely identifying the device.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein said communication unit also receives data.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein said fastening article is a wristband.

44. The device of claim 43, further comprising a wire located at said wristband, wherein said wire is connected to said communication unit as an antenna.

45. A system for measuring at least one physiological parameter of a subject, comprising:

(a) a device for measuring the at least one physiological parameter, comprising;

(i) a fastening article for being fastened to a wrist of the subject;

(ii) a sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter of the subject, said sensor being in contact with at least a portion of said wrist and said sensor being attached to said fastening article;

(iii) a communication unit for at least transmitting data; and

(b) a gateway device for receiving said transmitted data for being measured.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising:

(c) a remote server in communication with said gateway device.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein at least one of a communication link between said gateway device and said remote server includes a telephone line.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein said transmitted data is analyzed at least partially automatically by said gateway device.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein said device and said gateway device communicate bi-directionally, such that a message transmitted from said device is acknowledged by said gateway device, and such that if said gateway device does not acknowledge correct reception of said message, said device transmits said message again.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein said device for measuring the at least one physiological parameter further comprises:

(iv) a processor for receiving a signal from said sensor and for converting at least one measurement to form medical information.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein at least one of a communication link between said device and said gateway device is a wireless link.

52. The system of claim 45, wherein at least one of a communication link between said device and said gateway device is a wired link.

53. The system of claim 45, wherein said device automatically performs a measurement of the physiological parameter upon manual activation of the device by the subject.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein said data is automatically transmitted to said gateway device upon said manual activation.

55. The system of claim 45, wherein said device automatically and periodically performs a measurement of the physiological parameter.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein said data is automatically transmitted to said gateway device if said measurement is outside of an acceptable range.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein said measurement is combined with another measurement of at least one other parameter to determine if said measurements are outside of said acceptable range.

58. A method for monitoring a physiological parameter of a subject, comprising:

providing a device for monitoring the physiological parameter, said device being attached to at least a portion of the subject at a pulse point of the subject;

monitoring the physiological parameter through said pulse point; and

if a level of the physiological parameter of the subject is outside of an expected range, transmitting an alarm.

59. A device for measuring at least one physiological parameter of a subject, comprising:

(a) a fastening article for being fastened to a wrist of the subject;

(b) a piezoceramic sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter of the subject at a pulse point of said wrist and said sensor being attached to said fastening article; and

(c) a processor for receiving a signal from said sensor and for converting said at least one measurement to form medical information.

60. A device for measuring at least one physiological parameter of a subject, comprising:

(a) an anvil for being pressed against skin of the subject;

(b) a protrusion connected to said anvil, wherein at least one vibration is collected from said anvil by said protrusion;

(c) a piezoceramic transducer for receiving said at least one vibration from said protrusion; and

(d) a processor for receiving a signal from said piezoceramic transducer according to said at least one vibration and for converting said signal to form medical information.

61. The device of claim 60, wherein said anvil is pressed against a pulse point of the subject, and wherein said signal measures pulse rate.

62. The device of claim 60, further comprising:

(e) a non-volatile memory for storing at least one instruction for execution by said processor.

63. The device of claim 60, further comprising:

(f) a communication unit for at least transmitting data.