Wireless Physiology Monitor

• US 20100245091A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Margon, Tom Mathai
• Original Assignee: Xanthia Global Limited
• Inventors: Margon, Kenneth, Renukanand, Gubbi Umesh, Rahman, Md Mijanur, Singh, Rabindra
• Granted Patent: US 9,035,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention provides a new non-invasive technique for organ, e.g., heart and lung, monitoring. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a subject is radiated with a non-harmful and relatively low power electromagnetic source diagnostic signal normally associated with a communications protocol such as, but not limited to a version of the IEEE 802.11(x) family of protocols in the 2.4, 3.6, or 5 GHz spectrum bands. After passing through the patient, a return signal is acquired from the patient and compared to the original source signal. The differences between the source and modified signals are then analyzed to monitor the heart, e.g., measure heart rate and detect defects within the heart, and the lung. For example, using Doppler Effect principles, heart rate and motion can be measured from the differences in frequency, phase, and/or wavelength between the source signal and the modified signal reflected back from the heart moving within the patient.

Claims

1. A method for physiology monitoring, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a modulated signal toward a subject,

receiving a return signal from the subject, and

processing the modulated signal and the return signal to monitor a physiological function of an organ of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulated signal comprises a signal selected from the group consisting of:

a quadrature amplitude modulation with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing signal;

a IEEE 802.11 compliant signal;

a Bluetooth compliant signal;

a WiMax compliant signal;

a CDMA signal;

a GSM signal;

a 3GPP LTE signal; and

a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological function is selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate;

respiratory or pulmonary rate;

ventricular contraction;

ventricular relaxation;

atrial contraction;

atrial relaxation;

arrhythmia; and

a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting movement of the subject.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the movement comprises a fall.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of recording the monitored physiological function upon detection of the movement.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying an identity of the subject using one or more unique characteristics of the monitored physiological function.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting information pertaining to the monitored physiological function to a central monitoring unit, wherein the step of transmitting information implements a communications protocol or modulation technique being implemented in the modulated signal transmitted toward the subject.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting a vibration frequency.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the modulated signal and the return signal to monitor a physiological function comprises the steps of:

demodulating the modulated signal and the return signal to recover in-phase and quadrature channels;

converting the recovered in-phase and quadrature channels to a digital domain; and

processing the recovered in-phase and quadrature channels in the digital domain using an algorithm or filter selected from the group consisting of;

a Goertzel algorithm, a Kalman filter, a correlation filter, and a combination thereof.

11. A physiology monitoring device comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a modulated signal toward a subject,

a receiver for receiving a return signal from the subject, and

circuitry for processing the modulated signal and the return signal to monitor a physiological function of an organ of the subject.

12. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, further comprising a biometric sensor.

13. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, further comprising a motion detection component.

14. The physiology monitoring device of claim 13, wherein the motion detection component comprises an accelerometer.

15. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is selected from the group consisting of:

a quadrature amplitude modulation with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing signal transmitter;

a IEEE 802.11 compliant transmitter;

a Bluetooth compliant transmitter;

a WiMax compliant transmitter;

a CDMA signal transmitter;

a GSM signal transmitter;

a 3GPP LTE signal transmitter; and

a combination thereof.

16. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for processing the modulated signal and the return signal comprises a demodulator.

17. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for processing the modulated signal and the return signal comprises a Kalman filter.

18. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for processing the modulated signal and the return signal comprises a Goertzel algorithm.

19. The physiology monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the circuitry for processing the modulated signal and the return signal comprises one or more correlation filters.

20. A method for organ monitoring, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a fall of a patient,

upon detecting a fall, transmitting a modulated signal toward the patient,

receiving a return signal from the patient, and

processing the modulated signal and the return signal to determine a physiological function of an organ of the patient.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of transmitting information pertaining to the physiological function to a central monitoring unit.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the modulated signal comprises a signal selected from the group consisting of:

a quadrature amplitude modulation with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing signal;

a IEEE 802.11 compliant signal;

a Bluetooth compliant signal;

a WiMax compliant signal;

a CDMA signal;

a GSM signal;

a 3GPP LTE signal; and

a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the physiological function is selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate;

respiratory or pulmonary rate;

ventricular contraction;

ventricular relaxation;

atrial contraction;

atrial relaxation;

arrhythmia; and

a combination thereof.

24. A method of linking data acquired from multiple medical data acquisition devices, the method comprising the steps of:

vibrating a component of a first medical data acquisition device at a vibration frequency;

detecting the vibration frequency at a second medical data acquisition device; and

linking first medical data acquired from the first medical data acquisition device to second medical data acquired from the second medical data acquisition device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of storing the first medical data and the second medical data in a medical record associated with a patient.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of identifying an identity or unique signature of a patient using the first medical data acquisition device and the second medical data acquisition device

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the first medical data acquisition device is selected from the group consisting of:

a weight scale, a blood pressure monitor, an oximeter, a breath analyzer, and a combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the second medical data acquisition device comprises a wireless physiology monitor.