MONITORING OF USE STATUS AND AUTOMATIC POWER MANAGEMENT IN MEDICAL DEVICES
First Claim
1. A method for automatically determining use status of an electronic medical device and/or activating said electronic medical device, such as an electronic stethoscope, the method comprising providing a patient portion of the device, i.e. one or more portions of the device that during use is brought into contact with portions of a patient, with contact or proximity detector means that provides an output signal when said patient portion is proximate to or in contact with a portion of a patient, said output signal, optionally after a predetermined signal processing, providing a signal-processed version of said output signal, determining the use status of the device, where said output signal or said signal-processed version hereof is used for activating electronic signal-processing circuitry, such as amplifiers, filters, signal analysis means, etc., whereby said electronic medical device becomes active when said patient portion is brought into contact with a portion of a patient or brought into close proximity of a patient.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to devices and methods for automatically determining the use status of medical devices and more particularly to automatic power management based on said use status in electronic medical devices. Specifically, although not exclusively, the invention relates to power management of electronic stethoscopes (1), when such devices are turned on prior to the use of the stethoscope and to problems related to turning on such devices or relating to the time required for such electronic devices to become operable after turning on the device prior to use. Furthermore, the use status determination according to the invention may find use in other devices than stethoscopes, such as injector devices for administering medicaments or inhaling devices. The use status is according to the principles of the invention determined based on signals picked up by for instance sensor means detecting sound signals picked up by transducer means in an electronic stethoscope or by proximity detector means (such as capacity measuring means) or bio impedance measuring means,
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Citations
37 Claims
- 1. A method for automatically determining use status of an electronic medical device and/or activating said electronic medical device, such as an electronic stethoscope, the method comprising providing a patient portion of the device, i.e. one or more portions of the device that during use is brought into contact with portions of a patient, with contact or proximity detector means that provides an output signal when said patient portion is proximate to or in contact with a portion of a patient, said output signal, optionally after a predetermined signal processing, providing a signal-processed version of said output signal, determining the use status of the device, where said output signal or said signal-processed version hereof is used for activating electronic signal-processing circuitry, such as amplifiers, filters, signal analysis means, etc., whereby said electronic medical device becomes active when said patient portion is brought into contact with a portion of a patient or brought into close proximity of a patient.
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2. (canceled)
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10. (canceled)
- 18. An electronic stethoscope comprising a chestpiece comprising a stethoscope sensor for picking up sounds from a patient'"'"'s body, where said chestpiece is provided with contact or proximity detector means that provides an output signal when said chestpiece is proximate to or in contact with a surface portion of a patient, said output signal, or a signal-processed version of said output signal, determining the use status of the stethoscope and/or activating the stethoscope when said chestpiece is proximate to or in contact with said surface portion of a patient where said output signal or said signal-processed version hereof is used for activating electronic signal-processing circuitry, such as amplifiers, filters, signal analysis means, etc., whereby said electronic stethoscope becomes active when said patient portion is brought into contact with a portion of a patient or brought into close proximity of a patient.
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20-21. -21. (canceled)
Specification
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- Resources
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Current Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
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Original Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
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InventorsAndersen, Bjørn Knud
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Application NumberUS12/670,221Publication NumberTime in Patent OfficeDaysField of SearchUS Class Current381/67CPC Class CodesA61B 2560/0209 adapted for power savingA61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensorsA61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling s...A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes micro...
