Monitoring Apparatus for Monitoring a User's Heart Rate and/or Heart Rate Variation; Wristwatch Comprising Such a Monitoring Apparatus

• US 20080262364A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Aarts, Ronaldus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Monitoring apparatus (4) for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, the apparatus comprising: a capacitor (22) which is position able on or near a body part of a person, for example a person'"'"'s limb, for example an arm (3), such that an electrical capacitance of the capacitor (22) is influenced by blood pressure pulses of blood running through the body part, wherein the apparatus (4) further comprises a data processor (26) for determining the heart rate and/or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance of the capacitor (22).

Claims

1. Monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, the apparatus (4) comprising:

a capacitor (22) having at least two capacitor electrodes (18, 20), wherein the capacitor electrodes (18, 20) are positionable adjacent to different surface parts of a body part of a person, such that an electrical capacitance of the capacitor (22) is influenced by blood pressure pulses of blood running through the body part, wherein the apparatus (4) further comprises a data processor (26) for determining the heart rate and/or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance of the capacitor (22).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus (4) comprises an output device (28) for auditorily and/or visually making determinable to the user the heart rate and/or heart rate variation determined by the data processor (26).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an oscillator (24) for sending an oscillating signal through the capacitor (22).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oscillator (24) is arranged to generate a binary signal.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor (26) comprises a frequency detector arranged to determine frequency changes.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the data processor comprises a one shot unit (34) for generating a pulse train, wherein the pulse train (B) is formed by pulses generated by the one shot unit (34) in response to an up going flank or a down going flank in the oscillating signal.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the data processor comprises an averaging unit (36) for generating a moving average (<

B>

) of the pulse train (B), the moving average being indicative of a frequency changes of the oscillating signal.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an accelerometer (50) for determining acceleration of the body part.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data processor is arranged to determine an estimation of a disturbance value in measurements, which disturbance value is caused by the acceleration of the body part.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, the different surfaces being located at substantially opposite sides of the person'"'"'s body part, particularly such that the body part extends between the electrodes during use.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is provided with a wristband, the wristband comprising at least part of the capacitor (22), wherein the wristband preferably is provided with a housing (6) and/or with the mentioned data processor (26).

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to be carried by a single body part of a user.

13. Wristband or wrist watch comprising a monitoring apparatus according to claim 1.

14. Wrist watch comprising a monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output device (28) is comprised in the time display.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate and/or heart rate variations are used as a parameter in computer games.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate and/or heart rate variations are used in a training scheme.

18. Method for monitoring a heart of a patient using the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate and/or heart rate variations are used to determine the occurrence of a heart failure, wherein, upon the determination of a heart failure, the apparatus generates an alarm signal.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the alarm signal is sent to an external receiver.

17. (canceled)

20. Method for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, wherein at least two capacitor electrodes of a capacitor are positioned adjacent to different surface parts of a body part of a person, wherein an electrical capacitance of the capacitor is influenced by blood pressure pulses of blood running through the body part, and wherein the heart rate and/or heart rate variation are being determined from changes in the capacitance of the capacitor.

21. Method according to claim 20, wherein the electrodes are positioned such that a blood conveying body part is at least partly located between the electrodes.