BANDAGE WITH SENSORS

• US 20070206655A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graham A. Jullien, Ivars Finvers, James W. Haslett
• Original Assignee: Graham A. Jullien, Ivars Finvers, James W. Haslett
• Inventors: HASLETT, JAMES W., JULLIEN, GRAHAM A, FINVERS, IVARS
• Granted Patent: US 7,625,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• 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 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/023 wound covering film layers without a fluid retention layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/12 specially adapted for the head or neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00953 temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/165 for application in zero heat flux sensors

Abstract

A bandage incorporates sensor arrays. The sensor arrays may measure temperature and are fixed to a person'"'"'s temple in use, or other suitable body part. An estimate of core body temperature may be made using the arrays. The bandage may carry processing electronics and a transmitter. Processing may be done on the bandage or remotely from the bandage. Other physiological parameters may be measured depending on the type of sensor used.

Claims

1. A measuring device, comprising:

a bandage;

an array of sensors attached to the bandage, the sensors of the array of sensors having sensing surfaces; and

the sensors of the array of sensors having a first sensor output.

2. The measuring device of claim 1 further comprising a processor having the first sensor output as input, the processor being configured to estimate a value representative of a physiological characteristic from the first sensor output.

3. The measuring device of claim 1 in which the bandage has a sticking surface at least partly covered with adhesive, and the sensing surfaces of the sensors are surrounded by the sticking surface of the bandage.

4. The measuring device of claim 1 further comprising a second array of sensors separated from the first array of sensors by a layer, the second array of sensors having a second sensor output, and the processor being configured to estimate the value representative of a physiological characteristic taking into account the second sensor output.

5. The measuring device of claim 4 in which the sensors are temperature sensors and the physiological characteristic is temperature.

6. The measuring device of claim 5 in which the processor uses the first sensor output as a baseline, and estimates a correction to the baseline based on a function of the first sensor output and the second sensor output to yield an estimate of the physiological parameter.

7. The measuring device of claim 6 in which the processor is configured to use equation (1) to estimate temperature of a body.

9. The measuring device of claim 1 further comprising a transmitter attached to the bandage, and transmitter being connected to transmit signals received directly or indirectly from the sensors to a receiver.

10. The measuring device of claim 2 in which the processor is remote from the bandage.

8. The measuring device of claim 8 placed on a body to measurement of human body core temperature.

11. A device for the measurement of body temperature, comprising:

a first array of temperature sensors arranged to determine a first temperature T_skin; and

a second array of temperature sensors insulated from the first array, the second array of temperature sensors arranged to determine a second temperature T_outer; and

a data processor configured to estimate core body temperature (T_core) using T_skin and T_outer.

12. The device of claim 11 in which the data processor configured to estimate the core body temperature (T_core) using the following formula

T_core=T_skin+α

(T_skin−

T_outer)

where α

is a pre-determined scaling factor.

13. The device of claim 11 in which the second array of temperature sensors is insulated from the first array of temperature sensors by a layer of insulating material.

14. The device of claim 11 in which the first temperature is the highest temperature measured by the first temperature sensor array, and the second temperature corresponds to the sensor in closest physical proximity to the location where the highest temperature measured by the first temperature sensor array is, in operation, recorded.

15. The device of claim 11 in which the first temperature sensor array comprises multiple adjacent sensors and in which the second temperature sensor array comprises multiple sensors interspaced between adjacent pairs of sensors in the first temperature sensor array.

16. The device of claim 15 in which the first temperature is the highest average temperature recorded between adjacent pairs of sensors in the first temperature sensor array and the second temperature corresponds to the temperature recorded by the temperature sensor in the second temperature sensor array that lies between the adjacent pairs of sensors in the first temperature sensor array which recorded the highest average temperature.

17. A device for the measurement of body temperature, comprising:

a first array of temperature sensors arranged to be placed in thermal contact with skin;

a second array of temperature sensors insulted from the first array by a layer of material;

an electronic circuit for converting output from the first array and the second array into digital representations of sensor output;

an electronic circuit for wirelessly transmitting the digital representations of sensor output to remote receiver;

a wireless receiver to receive the digital representations of sensor output; and

a data processor configured to define digital representation of sensor output of the temperature sensor from the first array that measures the highest temperature as T_skin, and configured to define as T_outer digital representation of sensor output of the temperature sensor from the second array which is in closest physical proximity to the temperature sensor from the first array that measures the highest temperature; and

the data processor being configured to estimate the core body temperature (T_core) using the following formula

T_core=T_skin+α

(T_skin−

T_outer)

using the two selected temperatures (T_skin and T_outer), and a scaling factor a.

18. The device of claim 17 further comprising a means of displaying the estimated core temperature.

19. The device of claim 17 further comprising a means of retransmitting, by wired or wireless means, the estimated core temperature to other patient information processing/gathering system.

20. The device of claim 17 in which the first array, the second array and and the processor are incorporated in a flexible carrier having an adhesive face for affixation to a body.

21. The device of claim 17 in which the temperature sensors of at least the first array are each in thermal contact with a disk of material of high thermal conductivity which increases the physical region for which the respective temperature sensors provide a measurement.

22. A method of measuring body temperature, the body having skin, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a bandage with plural sensors on the body, at least two sensors of the plural sensors being insulated from each other and being arranged to measure a first temperature in close proximity to the skin, and a second temperature away from the skin; and

processing signals from the at least two sensors to determine a core temperature T_core of the body.

23. The method of claim 22 in which processing the signals from the at least two sensors comprises applying the equation

T_core=T_skin+α

(T_skin−

T_outer)

where T_skin is the first temperature and T_outer the second temperature, and α

is a pre-determined scaling factor.