Wireless medical monitoring apparatus and system
First Claim
1. A disposable electrode patch for monitoring of at least one electrical signal from a patient'"'"'s body, said patch comprising:
- a relatively thin and flexible sealed housing having an adhesive surface effective for releasably adhering said patch to the patient;
a power source positioned in said housing for providing power;
a printed circuit board positioned in said housing connected to said power source for thereby distributing power;
at least one electrode adjacent a surface of said housing and connected through said circuit board so as to detect the electrical signal when the patch is properly adhered to the patient'"'"'s body;
a converter positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said at least one electrode for converting a detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal;
a processor having a clock and positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said converter for processing the digital signal responsive to time; and
a transmitter having a relatively flexible antenna and positioned in said housing connected to said processor through said circuit board for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring an electrical signal from a patient'"'"'s body includes a disposable electrode patch having a thin flexible housing with an adhesive exterior, a power source, a printed circuit board, a plurality of electrodes, a converter for converting a detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal, a processor for processing the digital signal, and a transmitter connected for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal. A monitoring unit communicating with the electrode patch includes a power source, a transceiver, a global positioning receiver, a processor, at least one communication port for external communications, and a display. A system of the invention includes a plurality of patients having medical monitors wirelessly communicating biometric information to a central processor for archiving and accessing.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A disposable electrode patch for monitoring of at least one electrical signal from a patient'"'"'s body, said patch comprising:
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a relatively thin and flexible sealed housing having an adhesive surface effective for releasably adhering said patch to the patient;
a power source positioned in said housing for providing power;
a printed circuit board positioned in said housing connected to said power source for thereby distributing power;
at least one electrode adjacent a surface of said housing and connected through said circuit board so as to detect the electrical signal when the patch is properly adhered to the patient'"'"'s body;
a converter positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said at least one electrode for converting a detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal;
a processor having a clock and positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said converter for processing the digital signal responsive to time; and
a transmitter having a relatively flexible antenna and positioned in said housing connected to said processor through said circuit board for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for wireless monitoring of at least one electrical signal from a patient'"'"'s body, said apparatus comprising in combination:
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a disposable electrode patch having a relatively thin and flexible sealed housing disposed with an adhesive effective for releasably adhering said patch to the patient, a power source positioned in said housing for providing power, a printed circuit board positioned in said housing connected to said power source for thereby distributing power, a plurality of electrodes connected through said circuit board and positioned spaced apart in said housing so as to detect the electrical signal when the patch is properly adhered to the patient'"'"'s body, a converter positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said plurality of electrodes for converting a detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal, a processor having a clock and positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said converter for processing the digital signal responsive to time, and a transmitter having a relatively flexible antenna and positioned in said housing connected to said processor through said circuit board for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal; and
a monitoring unit comprising a power source, a transceiver in wireless communication with at least said electrode patch, a global positioning receiver, a processor programmed at least to control the apparatus and to process signals received, at least one communication port for external communications, and a display connected to said processor to visually display information from signals processed thereby. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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20. The electrode patch of claim (above), wherein at least one communication port of said plurality of communication ports comprises an RS-232 port.
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21. The electrode patch of claim (above), wherein at least one communication port of said plurality of communication ports is responsive to infrared light.
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27. A disposable electrode patch for monitoring of at least one electrical signal from a patient'"'"'s body, said patch comprising:
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a relatively thin and flexible sealed housing externally disposed with an adhesive effective for releasably adhering said patch to the patient, having an electrode docking port positioned on an undersurface of said housing for therein engaging an electrode, and having a plurality of manually actuated stops adjacent said electrode docking port for releasably securing an electrode therein engaged;
a power source positioned in said housing for providing power;
a printed circuit board positioned in said housing connected to said power source for thereby distributing power;
an electrode releasably engaged in said electrode docking port so as to detect and communicate through said circuit board the at least one electrical signal when the patch is properly adhered to the patient'"'"'s body;
a converter positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said electrode for converting the detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal;
a processor having a clock and positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said converter for processing the digital signal responsive to time;
a transmitter having a relatively flexible antenna and positioned in said housing connected to said processor through said circuit board for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal; and
a light source connected to provide a visual signal indicative of functional status of said electrode patch. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A patient kit for use by a patient requiring medical monitoring, said kit comprising:
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a carrying case disposed with interior cushioning material having a plurality of cavities therein for containing kit components;
a packet containing a plurality of disposable electrode patches, each patch of the plurality comprising a relatively thin and flexible sealed housing disposed with an adhesive effective for releasably adhering said patch to the patient, a power source positioned in said housing for providing power, a printed circuit board positioned in said housing connected to said power source for thereby distributing power, a plurality of electrodes connected through said circuit board and positioned spaced apart in said housing so as to detect the electrical signal when the patch is properly adhered to the patient'"'"'s body, a converter positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said plurality of electrodes for converting a detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal, a processor having a clock and positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said converter for processing the digital signal responsive to time, and a transmitter having a relatively flexible antenna and positioned in said housing connected to said processor through said circuit board for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal;
a monitoring unit comprising a rechargeable power source, a transceiver in wireless communication with at least said electrode patch, a global positioning receiver, a processor programmed at least to control the apparatus and to process signals received, at least one communication port for external communications, and a display connected to said processor to visually display information from signals processed thereby;
a charger for said rechargeable power source; and
an instructional video recording containing instructions for the patient on proper use of kit components.
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30. A system for monitoring a plurality of patients, said system comprising:
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a plurality of patients each individual patient of the plurality wearing a disposable electrode patch having a relatively thin and flexible sealed housing disposed with an adhesive effective for releasably adhering said patch to the patient, a power source positioned in said housing for providing power, a printed circuit board positioned in said housing connected to said power source for thereby distributing power, a plurality of electrodes connected through said circuit board and positioned spaced apart in said housing so as to detect the electrical signal when the patch is properly adhered to the patient'"'"'s body, a converter positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said plurality of electrodes for converting a detected electrical signal from the patient'"'"'s body to a digital signal, a processor having a clock and positioned in said housing connected through said circuit board to said converter for processing the digital signal responsive to time, and a transmitter having a relatively flexible antenna and positioned in said housing connected to said processor through said circuit board for transmitting the processed digital signal as a wireless signal, each individual patient of the plurality also wearing a monitoring unit comprising a power source, a transceiver in wireless communication with said disposable electrode patch, a global positioning receiver, a processor programmed at least to control the apparatus and to process signals received, at least one communication port for external communications, and a display connected to said processor to visually display information from signals processed thereby; and
a base station processor comprising a transceiver in wireless communication with each individual monitoring unit worn by the plurality of patients so as to receive therefrom the signals processed, and a display for displaying information contained in the received signals, including patient location information received from said global positioning system receiver.
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31. A system for wirelessly monitoring a plurality of patients, said system comprising:
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a plurality of patients wherein each individual patient of the plurality has associated therewith a medical monitor which collects biometric information from said patient and includes a converter to convert collected biometric information to a digital signal, a processor for processing the digital signal, and a wireless transceiver for wirelessly transmitting the digital signal comprising the biometric information; and
a central processor receiving the transmitted digital signal for further processing and having a display for displaying the biometric information contained in a received signal. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification