Power saving uplink for biosensors

• US 20050261556A1
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Vogtmeier, Gereon, Schmidt, Ralf, Reichinger, Christian, Such, Olaf, Reiter, Harald, Lauter, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• 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: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A system for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual. The system (1) comprises sensing means (3) arranged to pick up a first signal (M) in a first mode of the system, said first signal being representative of the physiological condition and to forward the first signal to a signal processing unit (33). The system comprises an actuatable control unit (2) positioned remote from the signal processing unit, the control unit (2) being suitable to generate a second signal (T) arranged to be superimposed on the first signal (M). The signal processing unit (33, 37) is arranged to decode the second signal and to make the system enter into a second mode upon receipt of the second signal (T).

Claims

1. A system (1) for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual, comprising sensing means (3) arranged to pick up a first signal (M) in a first mode of the system, said first signal being representative of said physiological condition and to forward said first signal to a signal processing unit (33), characterized in that said system comprises an actuatable control unit (2) positioned remote from said signal processing unit, said control unit (2) being suitable to generate a second signal (T) arranged to be superimposed on the first signal (M), said signal processing unit (33, 37) being arranged to decode the second signal and to make the system enter into a second mode upon receipt of the second signal (T).

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (2) comprises an electrode (68) to be arranged in contact with the individuals skin, said electrode being arranged to transmit the second signal (69).

3. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the system further comprises an RF-link arranged to establish a wireless communication to a remote base unit (4), the second signal (T) being a trigger signal for the RF-link to perform a predetermined operation.

4. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the second signal (T) comprises data to be processed by the signal processing unit (33, 37).

5. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second signal (T) has substantially the same bandwidth as the first signal (M), the amplitude of the second signal being at least one order of magnitude smaller than the amplitude of the first signal.

6. A control unit (2) conceived to be suitable for a personal monitoring system (3), said personal monitoring system being arranged to pick-up a signal (M) representative of a physiological condition of an individual, characterized in that said control unit is arranged to control the personal monitoring system (3) by means of a generation of a suitable trigger signal (T), and by superimposing said trigger signal (T) on the signal representative of the monitored physiological condition.

7. A control unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the control unit (2) comprises an electrode (68) to be arranged in a contact with the individual'"'"'s skin, said electrode being arranged to transmit the trigger signal (69).

8. A control unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the control unit (2) comprises a user interface arranged to operate said control unit in a manual mode.

9. A control unit according to claim 8, characterized in that the control unit comprises an actuatable data input port and a display.