Remote monitoring of cardiac electrical activity using a cell phone device

• US 20050239493A1
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bioelectric Corp.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bioelectric Corp.
• Inventors: Batkin, Izmail, Carkner, Steven, Brookes, Robert, del Re, Riccardo Brun
• Application Number:
  US10/513,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A bio-monitor is built into a telephone handset or cell phone. Sensors are configured to obtain bio-signals while the handset or cell phone is in the position for normal speaking use of the telephonic device. This enables biosignal acquisition and/or bio-signal telephonic transmission to occur without the need for a position change to effect voice communications. The invention can also be constructed in the form of a case or harness designed to fit over a preexisting cell phone or a pre-existing telephone handset.

Claims

1. A telephone device for a user in the form of a telephone handset or cell phone, or a case, or harness for attachment to a pre-existing telephone handset or cell phone in combination with a pre-existing telephone handset or cell phone, comprising:

a) a first sensor carried on the outer surface of the device in order to establish contact with the user'"'"'s head and acquire bio-signals through such first contact;

b) a pickup signal conditioning circuit carried by the device and connected to the first sensor to condition acquired bio-signals into conditioned signals for subsequent telephonic communication;

c) a telephonic communication circuit connected to the signal conditioning circuit to provide a telephonic signal corresponding to the bio-signal data for telephonic communication, and

d) voice communication means positioned on the device to convey voice messages to and from the user through the telephonic communication circuit while the device is in position to receive bio-signals through such first contact,

whereby the simultaneous or alternate communication of bio-data and voice may occur without the need for any interruption arising from repositioning of the device.

2. A telephone device as in claim 1 comprising a second sensor positioned on another portion of the surface of the device to establish contact with the user'"'"'s hand to also effect the acquisition of said bio-signals through such second contact, said second sensor being connected to the pickup signal conditioning circuit to condition acquired signals into conditioned signals for subsequent telephonic communication.

3. A telephone device as in claim 2 wherein:

1. the first sensor is a first cardiac pickup positioned to contact the user'"'"'s head during normal hand-held telephonic communications; and

2. the second sensor is a second cardiac pickup electrode positioned to contact the left hand of the user during normal hand-held telephonic communications.

4. A telephone device as in claim 3 wherein the first and second sensors are ohmic electrodes combined with:

a) a third ohmic reference electrode positioned to contact the user'"'"'s skin at either the face or hand location;

and wherein;

b) the pickup signal conditioning circuit includes a differential, common-mode noise rejection circuit with a circuit ground; and

c) the third reference electrode is connected to the circuit ground.

5. A telephone device as in claim 4 wherein said first, second and reference electrodes have a body-contacting surface layer which has a volume resistivity in the range of 10exp5 to 10exp11 ohm-cms.

6. A telephone device as in claim 2 comprising a case or harness shaped to be carried by a cell phone or phone handset wherein said case or harness carries:

a) said first sensor array;

b) said second sensor array; and

c) said signal conditioning circuit,

and said signal conditioning circuit is connected to the cell phone or phone handset to deliver said conditioned signals corresponding to the bio-signal data for telephonic communication by the cell phone or phone handset.

7. A telephone device as in claim 6 comprising acoustic coupling means whereby said signal conditioning circuit is connected to the cell phone or phone handset to deliver said conditioned signals corresponding to the bio-signal data acoustically for telephonic communication by the cell phone or phone handset.

8. A telephone device as in claim 7 wherein said cell phone or phone handset comprises an electrical input port and said device comprises an input connection extending therefrom to said signal conditioning circuit to deliver said conditioned signals corresponding to the bio-signal data for telephonic communication by the cell phone or phone handset.

9. A device as in claim 8 comprising switch means connected to the a telephonic communication circuit to permit selection between data transmission and voice communications.

10. A device as in claim 9 comprising telephonic circuit means operating on the basis of one of the following systems namely, Analog Half-Duplex, Analog Full Duplex, Digital Half-Duplex, and Digital Full-Duplex, to permit transmission of the patient bio-signal and verbal communication by telephonic communication.

11. A device as in claim 10 comprising telephonic circuit means whereby a monitoring station receiving said telephonic communication controls the bio-monitoring functions by sending a specific tone or other audio signal to instruct the device to begin or cease sending bio-signals.

12. A device as in claim 11 wherein the ohmic reference electrode is mounted proximately to one of the pickup electrodes.

13. A device as in claim 12 wherein said signal conditioning circuit comprises a memory in the conditioning circuit whereby signals may be stored for delayed transmission.

14. A device as in claim 13 wherein said signal conditioning circuit comprises an archive memory to store a baseline or healthy bio-signal of the user, acquired when the user is healthy, this archived bio-signal being available to be sent by telephonic communication along with contemporary conditioned signals arising when the user/patient is having a crisis.

15. A telephone device as in claim 1 comprising a case or harness shaped to be carried by a cell phone or phone handset wherein said case or harness carries:

a) said first sensor array; and

b) said pickup signal conditioning circuit,

said signal conditioning circuit being connected to the cell phone or phone handset to deliver said conditioned signals corresponding to the bio-signal data for telephonic communication by the cell phone or phone handset.