ELECTRONIC MATTRESS OR CHAIR SENSOR FOR PATIENT MONITORING

• US 20100228516A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telehealth Sensors LLC
• Original Assignee: Telehealth Sensors LLC
• Inventors: Hinterlong, Stephen Joseph, Buck, Mark Stuart
• Application Number:
  US12/399,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228516A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3742 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 7/06 by electrostatic action
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/146 for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays G01L1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements

Abstract

A pressure-actuated mattress or chair pressure sensor enclosed within a flexible protective envelope is provided with active electronic devices that can monitor the state of the sensor. The electronic devices are mounted on, within or alongside the pressure sensor and can include a transmitter device. A remote patient monitoring system is realized by the electronics and sensor within a disposable protective envelope.

Claims

1. A sensor comprised of:

first and second substantially parallel conductive panels each panel having first and second sides, the panels being spaced apart from each other by a first distance and configured such that the first sides face each other, at least one of the panels being flexible; and

an active electronic device, operatively coupled to at least one of the sides.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device is attached to a land area of one of the sides.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first sides is coated with at least one of:

copper;

silver;

gold;

platinum.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the panels are elongated strips.

5. The sensor of claim 4, further including a fulcrum on the second side of one of the first and second elongated conductive strips.

6. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the strips have a thickness between about 0.003 inches and about 0.007 inches.

7. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the fulcrum is an elongated steel wire having a diameter of between about 0.010 and about 0.025 inches.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein both panels are flexible.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the panels comprise contacts of a switch and wherein the active electronic device is configured to detect operation of the switch and provide an output signal indicative thereof.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device is configured to detect a state change of the first and second panels.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device is configured to detect a change in the first distance and to provide an output signal indicative thereof.

12. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device is a processor coupled to a memory device.

13. The sensor of claim 12, wherein the memory device stores program instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to output a binary valued signal.

14. The sensor of claim 13, wherein the binary valued signal is at least one of:

a serial bit stream;

a multi-bit digital word.

15. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device outputs a signal, representative of a change in the first distance.

16. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device is at least one of:

a processor;

a memory device;

an indicator light;

capacitance converter;

resistance converter;

a microphone;

a piezoelectric device; and

a piezoresistive device.

17. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the active electronic device is configured to measure at least one of:

capacitance;

resistance;

temperature;

pressure;

inductance;

light intensity;

light wavelengths;

spatial orientation;

sound;

stress;

vibration; and

and to produce an output signal representative thereof.

18. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a transducer.

19. The sensor of claim 18, wherein the electronic device is a transducer and a radio frequency transmitter.

20. The sensor of claim 18, wherein the electronic device is a transducer and a Bluetooth transmitter.

21. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a transducer and a transmitter, the transmitter being compliant with I.E.E.E. 801.11 standards.

22. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first distance is between about 0.004 inches and about 0.006 inches.

23. The sensor of claim 1, further including a non-conductive mesh between the first and second spaced-apart panels.

24. The sensor of claim 23 wherein the first distance is between about 0.25 inches and about 0.35 inches.

25. A sensor comprised of:

a flexible substrate;

first and second elongated and substantially parallel conductive panels each panel having first and second sides, the panels being spaced apart from each other by a first distance and configured such that the first sides face each other, at least one of the panels being flexible, at least one of the panels being attached to the substrate; and

an active electronic device mounted to the flexible substrate and operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second panels.

26. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the substrate and panels are configured to sense pressure applied to a mattress.

27. The sensor of claim 26 wherein the mattress is at least one of:

a chair pad; and

a bed.

28. The sensor of claim 25, wherein each panel has a first length and a first width and wherein the substrate has a second length and a second width greater than the first width.

29. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device is mounted to a land area on one of the sides.

30. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device is mounted to a second substrate and wherein the second substrate is mounted to a land area on one of the sides of the substrate.

31. The sensor of claim 25 wherein at least one of the first sides is coated with at least one of:

copper;

silver;

gold; and

platinum.

32. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the panels are elongated strips.

33. The sensor of claim 32 further including a fulcrum on the second side of one of the first and second elongated conductive strips.

34. The sensor of claim 33, wherein the fulcrum is an elongated steel wire having a diameter of between about 0.014 inches and about 0.0.18 inches.

35. The sensor of claim 25, wherein both panels are flexible.

36. The of claim 25, wherein the panels comprise contacts of a switch and wherein the active electronic device is configured to detect operation of the switch and provide an output signal indicative thereof.

37. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device is configured to detect a state change between the panels and to provide an output signal indicative thereof.

38. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device is a processor coupled to a memory device.

39. The sensor of claim 38, wherein the memory device stores program instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to output a binary valued signal.

40. The sensor of claim 39, wherein the binary valued signal is at least one of:

a serial bit stream;

a multi-bit digital word.

41. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device outputs a signal, representative of a change in the first distance.

42. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device is at least one of:

a processor;

a memory device;

an indicator light;

capacitance converter;

resistance converter;

a microphone;

a piezoelectric device; and

a piezoresistive device.

43. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the active electronic device is configured to measure at least one of:

capacitance;

resistance;

temperature;

pressure;

inductance;

light intensity;

light wavelengths;

spatial orientation;

vibration;

sound;

stress; and

and to produce an output signal representative thereof.

44. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the substrate is plastic.

45. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the electronic device is a transducer and a radio frequency transmitter.

46. The sensor of claim 25 wherein the electronic device is a transducer and a Bluetooth transmitter.

47. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the electronic device is a transducer and a transmitter, the transmitter being compliant with I.E.E.E. 801.11 standards.