COUPLING AND METHOD FOR DETECTING HEART RATE

• US 20090312657A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: LINDMAN, Erik, MARTIKKA, Mikko, AKKILA, Jari
• Granted Patent: US 9,999,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/519
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives

Abstract

The invention relates to a coupling and method in a heart-rate measuring apparatus. The coupling in the heart-rate measuring apparatus (10) comprises means (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) for measuring heart rate and means for wireless data transmission (7). According to the invention, the heart-rate measuring device (10) comprises means (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) implemented by analog electronics for defining the maximum value of the heart-rate signal, or a parameter proportional to it.

Claims

1. Coupling in a heart-rate measuring apparatus (10), which comprises

means for measuring heart rate (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and means for wireless data transmission (7),

characterized in that

the heart-rate measuring device (10) comprises means (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) implemented by analog electronics, for defining the maximum value of the heart-rate signal or a parameter proportional to it.

2. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) implemented using analog electronics, for defining the maximum value of the heart-rate signal or a parameter proportional to it, are connected directly to a microcontroller (5) of the heart-rate measuring device (10).

3. Coupling according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises means implemented by analog technology for confirming the detection of a maximum, with the aid of a time derivative of the descending edge of the signal.

4. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (1, 4) for acquiring a time stamp of a maximum from the descending edge after the maximum, for example, by sending an interrupt to the microcontroller (5).

5. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for accepting a detected maximum as a heartbeat moment, if a new maximum is not detected after the detection of the maximum during a period of a predefined number of milliseconds x (x being approx. 200-250).

6. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for accepting a maximum on a condition, by which the new maximum should be at least ‘

previous maximum−

y’

mV, where y is approx. 0.5.

7. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for returning (resetting) the reference level to its minimum value, if a new maximum is not detected during the maximum heartbeat interval (2 seconds).

8. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the heart-rate measuring device (10) comprises means for transmitting heart-rate data equipped with identifier information.

9. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the heart-rate measuring device (10) comprises means for transmitting time stamps relating to the heartbeats.

10. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the heart-rate measuring device (10) comprises a memory.

16. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum is accepted on a condition, by which the new maximum should be at least ‘

previous maximum−

y’

mV, where y is approx. 0.5.

17. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reference level is returned (reset) to its minimum value, if a new maximum is not detected during the maximum heartbeat interval (2 seconds).

18. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the heart-rate data is transmitted from the heart-rate measuring device (10) equipped with identifier information.

19. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the heart-rate data is transmitted from the heart-rate measuring device (10) as time stamps relating to the heartbeats.

20. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that information is recorded in the heart-rate measuring device (10).

11. Method in a heart-rate measuring apparatus, in which

the heart rate is measured by a heart-rate measuring device (10), and

the measured heart-rate data is transmitted wirelessly to a second apparatus (20) for analysis, or display, or display of the analysis results,

characterized in that

a definition of the maximum value of the heart-rate signal, or a parameter proportional to it, is implemented in the heart-rate measuring device (10) by means of analog electronics (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the means (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) implemented by analog electronics, for defining the maximum value of the heart-rate signal, or a parameter proportional to it, are connected directly to a microcontroller (5) of the heart-rate measuring device (10).

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the detection of a maximum is confirmed by analog technology, with the aid of a time derivative of the descending edge of the signal.

14. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the time stamp of a maximum is acquired from a descending edge after the maximum, for example, by sending an interrupt to the microcontroller.

15. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the detected maximum is accepted as the moment of a heartbeat, if, after the detection of the maximum, a new maximum is not detected during a period of a predefined number of milliseconds x (x being approx. 200-250).

21. Heart-rate measuring system, which comprises

a heart-rate measuring device (10), which includes means for measuring heart rate and means for wirelessly forwarding heart-rate data, and

a receiver apparatus (20), which comprises means for receiving heart-rate data over a wireless transmission channel, as well as means for analysing or displaying the received heart-rate data, or for displaying the analysis results,

characterized in that

the heart-rate measuring device (10) comprises means (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), implemented by analog electronics, for defining the maximum value of the heart-rate signal, or a parameter proportional to it.

22. System according to claim 21, characterized in that it comprises means according to any of the device claims.