Respiration Motion Detection and Health State Assesment System
First Claim
1. An apparatus for transmitting information on the physical status of a subject comprising a carrier for sensors arranged to be worn by the subject for providing electrical signals representative of physical parameters of the subject, and electronics to receive the electrical signals from the sensors, and to process the signals at the location of the subject, said sensors including one or more respiration motion sensors comprising a flexible strip having a first conductive lead connecting to an area of resistive material whose electrical resistance varies as the strip is flexed.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wearable platform embodied in a belt or flattened patch-like central body shaped to conform to the abdomen provides physiological monitoring of soldiers during field operations or trauma victims at accident sites and makes health state assessments. The platform includes sensors for heart rate, body motion, respiration rate and intensity, and temperature and further contains a microprocessor and short range transmitter. The respiration sensor uses conductive ink in a novel manner. A small square of the ink is coated on an arched structure so that flexing of the arch either to increase or decrease its radius of curvature modifies the resistance of the structure. This is utilized to set the unstressed resistance of the arch structure and to allow a greater range of resistance values capable of measuring distortions in different deformations of the arch. The respiration sensor supplements the motion information provided by an accelerometer sensor.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. An apparatus for transmitting information on the physical status of a subject comprising
a carrier for sensors arranged to be worn by the subject for providing electrical signals representative of physical parameters of the subject, and electronics to receive the electrical signals from the sensors, and to process the signals at the location of the subject, said sensors including one or more respiration motion sensors comprising a flexible strip having a first conductive lead connecting to an area of resistive material whose electrical resistance varies as the strip is flexed.
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22. A carrier for sensors arranged to be worn by the subject for providing electrical signals representative of physical parameters of the subject, said carrier comprising
a central housing, two flexible extensions containing sensors including a respiration motion sensor, a harness, and electronics to receive and interpret the electrical signals from the sensors, and to process the signals at the location of the subject, said respiration motion sensor comprising a flex sensor having an arched structure with a radius of curvature and an electrical resistance dependant upon the radius of curvature, said harness comprising an attachment to the subject that causes the radius of curvature of the arched structure to vary in response to motion of the abdomen of the subject, wherein the electronics wirelessly transmits information representative of the motion of the abdomen of the subject during respiration.
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27-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A carrier for sensors arranged to be worn by a subject comprising two flexible extensions each containing
a respiration motion sensor comprising a flexible deformation transducer element that varies in electrical resistance as the chest or abdomen of the subject expands and contracts due to respiration, wherein each flexible deformation transducer has a preset non-zero curvature and a maximum resistance when no load is applied.
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36. A carrier for sensors arranged to be worn by a subject on its abdomen comprising
a flattened body shaped to conform to the abdomen having two projecting arms, a bending sensor transducer assembly attached between the two projecting arms such that the rotation of either arm relative to the other will produce a change in electrical resistance of the bending sensor, a flexible pad or backing on one side of the transducer assembly, a pressure applicator that compresses the assembly against the subject'"'"'s abdomen, oriented so that the flexible pad or backing is placed flat against the skin.
- 40. A carrier for sensors arranged to be worn by a subject on its abdomen wherein the skin and underlying tissue of the abdomen are pressed by two flat extensions that are connected by an arched section on which a resistive sensing element is mounted.
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46-96. -96. (canceled)
Specification