HARNESS WITH SENSORS

• US 20080287770A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medicomp Incorporated (Medicomp, Inc. /Balda/)
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Wearable Computing, Inc.
• Inventors: Gibson, Lucy, Albrecht, Paul, Kurzweil, Raymond C., Lutwyche, Mark, Kleiner, Aaron, Craft, Brandon, Daniels, Michelle, Dua, Vishal
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/388
• 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 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses

Abstract

A garment for ambulatory, physiological monitoring of a patient includes a belt, having first and second end portion with closures at the end portions to wrap around a user'"'"'s chest, a strap having a first end coupled to a portion of the belt with the strap having a second end, a pair of shoulder strap portions each shoulder strap portion having a first end coupled together at the second end of the strap and a second end, and a back portion that joins the second ends of the pair of shoulder strap portions, with at least one of the belt, strap portions and back portion having an accommodation for carrying a sensor. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A garment comprises:

a belt, having first and second end portion with closures at the end portions to wrap around a user'"'"'s chest;

a strap having a first end coupled to a portion of the belt with the strap having a second end;

a pair of shoulder strap portions each shoulder strap portion having a first end coupled together at the second end of the strap and a second end;

a back portion that joins the second ends of the pair of shoulder strap portions, with at least one of the belt, strap portions and back portion having an accommodation for carrying a sensor.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the second end of the strap and the first ends of the pair of shoulder strap portions are unitary in construction.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein the second end of the strap and the first ends of the pair of shoulder strap portions are coupled together by fasteners.

4. The garment of claim 1 wherein the back portion is unitary in construction with the pair of shoulder strap portions.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein the back portion is coupled to the pair of shoulder strap portions by a fastener.

6. The garment of claim 1 wherein the back portion, the strap, and the pair of shoulder strap portions are comprised of synthetic rubbers based on polychloroprene material.

7. The garment of claim 1 wherein the accommodation for the sensor is disposed in the back portion of the garment, and the garment further comprises second and third accommodations disposed in each of strap portions and a fourth accommodation disposed in the belt of the garment.

8. The garment of claim 1 wherein the accommodation is a pouch provided in the garment.

9. The garment of claim 1 wherein the accommodation is a snap that mates with a corresponding snap on the sensor.

10. The garment of claim 1 wherein the accommodation is provided in one of the belt, strap portions and back and the garment further comprises:

at least one conductor to deliver a signal from the sensor to a processing circuit.

11. The garment of claim 3 wherein the fasteners are selected from snaps, hook and loop fasteners.

12. The garment of claim 1 wherein the accommodation is provided on a first one of the strap portions, in a portion of the strap portion that rests against a shoulder of a user.

13. The garment of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor supported by the accommodation in the harness.

14. The garment of claim 13 wherein the sensor comprises:

a sensor membrane comprised of an electrically conductive, flexible material.

15. The garment of claim 14 wherein the sensor membrane has a major surface thereof that is exposed to make contact with the skin of a subject, with the major, exposed surface that contacts the skin being a curved surface.

16. The garment of claim 14 wherein the sensor membrane has a major surface thereof that is exposed to make contact with the skin of a subject, with the major, exposed surface that contacts the skin being a flat surface.

17. The garment of claim 14 wherein the sensor membrane has the major surface covered with a conductive gel film.

18. The garment of claim 14 wherein the sensor comprises:

a snap member comprised of an electrically conductive material and is disposed in intimate contact with the backside of the sensing membrane to provide an electrical path for a signal from the sensing membrane.

19. The garment of claim 14 further comprising a sensor frame comprised of a firm, flexible material supporting the sensor membrane.

20. The garment of claim 14 further comprising a layer of material surrounding the sensor membrane to absorb sweat.

21. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment further comprises:

a stiffener member to hold the sides and front of the belt forward of a user'"'"'s body, when the belt is being put on and before it is fastened by the user.

22. A garment comprises:

a belt that is configured to be worn around a user'"'"'s chest, the belt having a pair of ends with closures disposed at the pair of ends of the belt;

at least one strap having a first end coupled to the belt and a second end, with at least one of the belt and strap having an accommodation for carrying a sensor; and

wherein portions of the garment that are on the skin side being comprised of a high friction material.

23. The garment of claim 22 further comprising:

a back portion that connects to the belt and joins the second end of the strap.

24. The garment of claim 22 wherein the first end of the strap is removably coupled to the belt.

25. The garment of claim 22 wherein the strap couples between the belt and the back portion in a manner that the strap traverses the chest of a user.

26. The garment of claim 22 wherein the strap couples between the belt and the back portion in a manner that the strap traverses the chest of a user and with the accommodation for carrying a sensor being a first accommodation disposed on the belt and the garment further comprising a second accommodation for carrying a second sensor, the second accommodation disposed on the strap in a region of the strap that contacts a shoulder of the user.

27. The garment of claim 22 wherein the sensor carried by the strap is attached in a region of the strap that contacts a shoulder of the user.

28. The garment of claim 22 wherein the belt and the back portion are configured to secure the belt about the chest of the user.

29. The garment of claim 26 further comprises:

conductors attached to the sensors, the conductors being integrated into the garment.

30. The garment of claim 22 wherein the garment further comprises:

a sensor that is selected from an ECG sensor, motion sensor, body temperature sensor, respiration sensor or impedance plethysmography sensor.

31. The garment of claim 22 wherein the sensor has an uneven surface having at least one of the features of nubs, bumps, ridges, grooves or conductive threads to maintain contact with the skin of a user when sliding over the surface of the skin and/or in the presence of hair, sweat, or uneven surfaces.

32. The garment of claim 22 wherein the shoulder strap is a first shoulder strap and the garment further comprises:

a second shoulder strap, with the first and second shoulder straps coupled to the belt and with the shoulder straps configured to lie across shoulders of the user, in proximity to the sides of the neck of the user.

33. The garment of claim 22 further comprising:

a pair of brassiere cups; and

a second shoulder strap with the first and second shoulder straps coupled to the belt through the brassiere cups and with the shoulder straps configured to carry sensors.

34. The garment of claim 22 wherein the garment is comprised of synthetic rubbers based on polychloroprene material.

35. The garment of claim 22 wherein the garment further comprises:

a stiffener member to hold the sides and front of the belt forward of a user'"'"'s body, when the belt is being put on and before it is fastened by the user.