MINIATURE WIRELESS APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS

• US 20070167848A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cheryl C.H. Yang, Enjoy Research, Inc., Terry B.J. Kuo
• Original Assignee: Cheryl C.H. Yang, Enjoy Research, Inc., Terry B.J. Kuo
• Inventors: Yang, Cheryl C. H., KUO, Terry B. J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/04 Stops for limiting movement of members, e.g. adjustable stop G05G5/03, G05G5/05, G05G5/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/32 the contact moving in an arcuate path

Abstract

A miniature wireless apparatus for collecting physiological signals comprises an electrode pair, an amplifier module, a microcontroller, a wireless module, and a battery. The electrode pair collects a pair of physiological signals of a person under test. The amplifier module amplifies the pair of physiological signals. The microcontroller performs an analog-to-digital conversion and a data compression for an amplified physiological signal generated by the amplifier module. The wireless module modulates a digital physiological signal generated by the microcontroller and transmitting the modulated digital physiological signal to a receiver at the far end. The apparatus can be implemented by a structure of multilayered circuit boards. With the progress of semiconductor technology, all the components of the miniature wireless apparatus can be further integrated to one circuit board, or even one chip.

Claims

1. A miniature wireless apparatus for collecting physiological signals, comprising:

an electrode pair comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein the electrode pair is connected to a person under test for collecting a pair of physiological signals;

an amplifier module for amplifying the pair of physiological signals;

a microcontroller for performing an analog-to-digital conversion and data compression for an amplified physiological signal generated by the amplifier module;

a wireless module for modulating a digital physiological signal generated by the microcontroller and transmitting the modulated digital physiological signal to a receiver at the far end; and

a battery for providing power to the amplifier module, the microcontroller and the wireless module.

2. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a positive electrode patch and a negative electrode patch electrically connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively.

3. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 2, wherein the positive electrode patch and the negative electrode patch are respectively electrically connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode through an electric contact point.

4. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 2, wherein the positive electrode patch and the negative electrode patch further comprise a conductive film with double-sided adhesives.

5. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprises an outer waterproof film or outer waterproof cover.

6. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, which is applied to collect an electroencephalogram signal, an electrooculogram, a forehead or body temperature signal, an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, an electromyogram signal, a nasal breath or a breathing signal.

7. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, which is applied to heart rate variability (HRV) analysis.

8. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amplifier module comprises a pair of input filters connected to the electrode pair.

9. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amplifier module comprises a differential amplifier for differentially amplifying the pair of physiological signals to match a voltage range of the analog-to-digital conversion of the microcontroller.

10. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amplifier module comprises an output stage filter for filtering the amplified physiological signal over twice the sampling frequency of the analog-to-digital conversion of the microcontroller.

11. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller comprises:

an analog-to-digital conversion unit connected to the amplifier module for performing a sampling and an analog-to-digital conversion for the amplified physiological signal; and

a digital signal-processing unit connected to the analog-to-digital conversion unit for performing a data compression for the digital physiological signal generated by the analog-to-digital conversion unit.

12. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless module comprises:

a modulator for modulating the digital physiological signal to generate the modulated digital physiological signal; and

a wireless transceiver for transmitting the modulated digital physiological signal to a receiver at the far end.

13. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless module comprises:

a wireless transceiver for receiving a wireless signal from the far end; and

a demodulator for demodulating the wireless signal.

14. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless module performs wireless transmission and receiving using the industry, science, and medical (ISM) exclusive frequency band.

15. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, which is implemented by a structure of multilayered circuit boards.

16. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller and the wireless module are disposed on an upper surface of a first circuit board, the amplifier module is disposed on an upper surface of a second circuit board, the electrode pair is disposed on a bottom surface of a third circuit board, and the second circuit board is disposed between the first circuit board and the third circuit board.

17. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 16, wherein an isolated ground plane is formed on a bottom surface of the first circuit board, and the isolated ground plane is used for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of analog circuits of the amplifier module.

18. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 16, wherein the battery is disposed between a bottom surface of the second circuit board and the upper surface of the third circuit board.

19. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bottom surface of the second circuit board is connected to one of the positive pole and the negative pole of the battery and serves as a power source layer, and the upper surface of the third circuit board layer is connected to the other pole of the battery and serves as another power source layer.

20. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller, the wireless module and the amplifier module are disposed on the upper surface of a first circuit board, the electrode pair is disposed on the bottom surface of a second circuit board, and the battery is disposed between the bottom surface of the first circuit board and the upper surface of the second circuit board.

21. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller, the wireless module are disposed on the upper surface of a first circuit board, the amplifier module and the electrode pair is disposed on the bottom surface of a second circuit board, and the battery is disposed between the bottom surface of the first circuit board and the upper surface of the second circuit board.

22. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller, the wireless module, the amplifier module and the battery are disposed on the upper surface of a circuit board, and the electrode pair is disposed on the bottom surface of the circuit board.

23. The miniature wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller, the wireless module, the amplifier module and the battery are integrated in one chip.