Coil System and Method for Obtaining Volumetric Physiological Measurements
First Claim
1. A coil device for use in measuring a volume of a subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, the coil device comprising:
- a first member adapted to extend around an outer surface of a first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest and conform to the outer surface despite changes in a contour of the outer surface,the first member comprising a first conductor adapted to extend only once around the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest,the first conductor adapted to generate, in the presence of a relatively homogeneous magnetic field produced by an energized electromagnet, a signal indicative of a volume of the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A coil device is provided having a member adapted to extend around and conform to an outer surface of a subject and a conductor adapted to extend only once around a first portion of the subject. The coil device can be positioned about the subject in order to measure a volume of the subject. When placed about the subject in the presence of a relatively homogeneous magnetic field, the conductor can generate a signal indicative of a volume of the first portion of the subject. The coil device may also include two or more conductors separately generating signals indicating volumes of two or more corresponding portions of the subject. In some cases the coil device includes associated authorization data that can limit use of the coil device. Systems and methods incorporating the coil device are also provided.
-
Citations
48 Claims
-
1. A coil device for use in measuring a volume of a subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, the coil device comprising:
-
a first member adapted to extend around an outer surface of a first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest and conform to the outer surface despite changes in a contour of the outer surface, the first member comprising a first conductor adapted to extend only once around the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, the first conductor adapted to generate, in the presence of a relatively homogeneous magnetic field produced by an energized electromagnet, a signal indicative of a volume of the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A coil device for use in measuring a volume of a subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, the coil device comprising:
a first member adapted to extend around an outer surface of a first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, the first member comprising (a) first conforming means for conforming the first member to the outer surface of the first portion despite changes in a contour of the outer surface of the first portion, and (b) first conducting means for generating, in the presence of a relatively homogeneous magnetic field produced by an energized electromagnet, a signal indicative of a volume of the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
29. A method for measuring a volume of a subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, comprising:
-
providing a coil device comprising a first member, the first member comprising a first conductor; extending the first member around an outer surface of a first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, thereby conforming the first member to the outer surface despite changes in a contour of the outer surface and extending the first conductor only once around the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest; generating with an electromagnet a relatively homogeneous magnetic field throughout a predefined spatial volume; positioning the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest within the spatial volume; measuring a signal induced in the first conductor by the relatively homogeneous magnetic field; and estimating a volume of the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest based on the signal measured in the first conductor. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A method for measuring a volume of a subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, comprising:
-
providing a coil device comprising an electronic memory storing authorization data; positioning the coil device around an outer surface of a first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest; reading the authorization data from the electronic memory; determining from the authorization data whether use of the coil device is authorized; generating with an electromagnet a relatively homogeneous magnetic field throughout a predefined spatial volume; positioning the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest within the spatial volume; and if use of the coil device is authorized, estimating a volume of the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, based on a signal induced in the first conductor by the relatively homogeneous magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A system for measuring a volume of a subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest, comprising:
-
an electromagnet adapted to generate a relatively homogeneous magnetic field within a predefined spatial volume; a coil device comprising an electronic memory storing authorization data, the coil device adapted to conform to an outer surface of a first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest and generate, in the presence of the relatively homogeneous magnetic field produced by the electromagnet, a signal indicative of a volume of the first portion of the subject'"'"'s abdomen and/or chest; and a control system electrically coupled to the coil device, the control system adapted to read the authorization data from the electronic memory, determine from the authorization data whether use of the coil device is authorized, measure the signal generated by the first conductor, and if use of the coil device is authorized, estimate the volume of the first portion of the subject based on the signal received from the first conductor. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
Specification