SENSING BIOLOGICAL DATA

• US 20090326398A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: BELALCAZAR, ANDRES, CHEN, JI, STEWART, JACK D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system is provided for obtaining and analyzing biological data of a subject. The system includes a biological data recording device that can sense biological signals of a subject over time and record the sensed biological signals as biological data. The system also includes an event time recording device that is physically separate from, and does not communicate with, the biological data recording device. The event time recording device includes a user actuatable component, and also includes a recording component that records user actuation data, which includes a time stamp indication as to when any instances of user actuation occurred. The system also includes equipment that can periodically receive the recorded biological data from the biological data recording device and the user actuation data from the event time recording device, and can correlate the biological data and the user actuation data to generate correlated biological data.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining and analyzing biological data of a subject, the system comprising:

a biological data recording device that is adapted to sense biological signals of a subject over time and record the sensed biological signals as biological data;

an event time recording device that is physically separate from, and not adapted to communicate with, the biological data recording device, the event time recording device comprising a user actuatable component adapted to be actuated by a user, and a recording component that records user actuation data comprising a time stamp indication as to when any instances of user actuation occurred; and

equipment that is adapted to receive, periodically, the recorded biological data from the biological data recording device and the user actuation data comprising the time stamp indication from the event time recording device, and that is further adapted to correlate the received biological data and the received user actuation data to generate correlated biological data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the biological data recording device is an electrocardiogram (ECG) recording device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the biological data recording device is implantable and has a wireless transmitter to transmit recorded biological data, and the equipment has a wireless receiver to receive the recorded biological data transmitted by the implantable ECG recording device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the event time recording device has a wireless transmitter to transmit user actuation data, and the equipment has a wireless receiver to receive the user actuation data transmitted by the event time recording device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the event time recording device has a wireless transmitter to transmit user actuation data, and the equipment has a wireless receiver to receive the user actuation data transmitted by the event time recording device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the event time recording device is a timekeeping device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the timekeeping device is a watch.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the event time recording device is a keychain.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment is further adapted to correct timing information in either the recorded biological data or user actuation data by comparing a first time when the equipment expected to receive the recorded biological data or user actuation data with a second time when the equipment received the recorded biological data or user actuation data and adjusting the timing information in the recorded biological data or user actuation data based on the difference between the first time and the second time.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the event time recording device has a transmitter to transmit user actuation data to the equipment, and the event time recording device periodically transmits recorded user actuation data corresponding to user actuation data recorded during a current time period and during each of a number of previous time periods.

11. A method for obtaining and analyzing biological data of a subject, the method comprising:

receiving biological data from a biological data recording device that is adapted to sense biological signals of the subject over time and record the sensed biological signals as biological data;

receiving user actuation data from an event time recording device that is physically separate from, and not adapted to communicate with, the biological data recording device, the event time recording device comprising a user actuatable component adapted to be actuated by a user, and a recording component that records user actuation data comprising a time stamp indication as to when any instances of user actuation occurred; and

generating correlated biological data by correlating the received biological data and the received user actuation data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the instances of user actuation correspond to user actuation made upon sensing a cardiac symptom.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the biological data recording device is an electrocardiogram (ECG) recording device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the biological data recording device is implantable and has a wireless transmitter to transmit recorded biological data, and the biological data is received wirelessly.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the event time recording device has a wireless transmitter to transmit user actuation data, and the user actuation data is received wirelessly.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the event time recording device has a wireless transmitter to transmit user actuation data, and the user actuation data is received wirelessly.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the event time recording device is a timekeeping device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the timekeeping device is a watch.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the event time recording device is a keychain.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising correcting timing information in the received biological data or received user actuation data by comparing a first time when the biological data or user actuation data was expected to be received with a second time when the biological data or user actuation data was received and adjusting the timing information in the biological data or user actuation data based on the difference between the first time and the second time.