PHYSIOLOGICAL HOMECARE SYSTEM

• US 20100253505A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chang-An Chou
• Original Assignee: Chang-An Chou
• Inventors: Chou, Chang-An
• Application Number:
  US12/682,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]

Abstract

A handheld physiological homecare system including a sensing device and an extension sensing device is provided. The sensing device includes a processor, a signal processing circuitry with input interface, a memory for storing physiological signals and related information, a battery for providing power, a status display unit, for showing physiological information, and a communication interface. The extension sensing device includes at least a sensor/electrode, and a housing having a dock structure and a holding portion. Therefore, after the dock structure of the extension sensing device is mechanically engaged with the sensing device for forming one handheld combined device and electrically connecting the sensor/electrode to the signal processing circuitry, by holding the holding portion, the combined device can be used to acquire physiological signals from user'"'"'s body, and after biosignal acquisition, the communication interface can be used to output user'"'"'s physiological information for further analysis.

Claims

1. A handheld physiological homecare system, comprising:

a sensing device, comprising;

a processor;

a signal processing circuitry with input interface;

a memory, for storing physiological signals and related information;

a battery, for providing power;

a status display unit, for showing physiological information; and

a communication interface; and

an extension sensing device, comprising;

at least a sensor/electrode; and

a housing, having a dock structure and a holding portion,

wherein

the dock structure of the extension sensing device is mechanically engaged with the sensing device for forming one handheld combined device and electrically connecting the sensor/electrode to the signal processing circuitry, so that by holding the holding portion, the combined device is used to acquire physiological signals from user'"'"'s body, and after biosignal acquisition, the communication interface is used to output user'"'"'s physiological information for further analysis.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combined device is used to detect EKG signals or oxygen saturation signals.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing device further includes at least a sensor/electrode connecting to the signal processing circuitry for acquiring physiological signals alone.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensing device is used to detect EKG signals.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing device further includes a blood pressure detector connecting to the signal processing circuitry for providing blood pressure information.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensing device further includes an air pumping module controlled by the processor for producing pressure as detecting blood pressure.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a carrier for attaching the sensing device to user'"'"'s body for biosignal acquisition.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the extension sensing device are mounted on the surface of the housing.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the extension sensing device is implemented to detect EKG signals.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of the extension sensing device is implemented to be plurality.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor/electrode of multiple extension sensing devices are used to acquire different kinds of physiological signals.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physiological signals are outputted by the communication interface to a computer for further analysis.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the computer is further connected to a network for acquiring a remote service.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication interface and the input interface are implemented to locate in the same connecting port.

15. A physiological homecare system, comprising:

a handheld sensing device, comprising;

a housing with a holding portion;

a processor;

at least a sensor/electrode;

a signal processing circuitry with input interface;

a memory, for storing physiological signals and related information;

a battery, for providing power;

a status display unit, for showing physiological information; and

a communication interface; and

an extension sensing device, comprising;

at least a sensor/electrode; and

a housing with a dock structure,

wherein

by holding the holding portion, the handheld sensing device is used to acquire physiological signals from user'"'"'s body;

after the dock structure of the extension sensing device is mechanically engaged with the sensing device to form one combined device and electrically connect the sensor/electrode of the extension device to the signal processing circuitry, the combined device is used for acquiring other physiological signals; and

after biosignal acquisition, user'"'"'s physiological information is outputted via the communication interface for further analysis.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sensing device is implemented to detect EKG or oxygen saturation signals.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the combined device is implemented to detect blood pressure or EKG signal.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sensing device further includes an air pumping portion controlled by the processor for producing pressure as the combined device is used to detect blood pressure.

19. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the extension sensing device further includes a status display unit for showing physiological information.

20. A wearable physiological homecare system, comprising:

a sensing device, comprising;

at least a sensor/electrode;

a signal processing circuitry with input interface;

a processor, for processing and analyzing the physiological signals, so as to produce an analysis result;

a memory, for storing physiological signals and related information;

a battery, for providing power; and

a communication interface;

a carrier, for attaching the sensing device to user'"'"'s body during biosignal acquisition; and

an extension device, comprising;

a processor unit;

a housing with a dock structure;

a status display unit; and

a first and a second communication interfaces,

wherein

after biosignal acquisition, the sensing device is detached from the carrier for mechanically engaging with the dock structure of the extension device and electrically connecting the communication interface to the first communication interface, so that via the communication interfaces, the analysis result is transmitted from the sensing device to the extension device for displaying, and further, via the second communication interface, user'"'"'s physiological information is outputted for further analysis.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor.

22. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the electrodes are EKG electrodes.

23. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the memory is implemented to be removable memory.

24. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the input interface and the communication interface of the sensing device are implemented to locate in the same connecting port.

25. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the carrier is made of flexible material.

26. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the carrier is made of FPCB.

27. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the status display unit is implemented to be LED, LCD or seven segment display.

28. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second communication interface is connected to a computer for outputting physiological information from the sensing device engaged with the dock structure to the computer, so as to perform further analysis.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the computer is a personal computer, a notebook, or a PDA.

30. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the computer is further connected to a network for obtaining a remote service.