ECG MONITORING SYTSTEM WITH DOCKING STATION

• US 20110208076A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cross, Brett, McCoy, William, Denney, Douglas, Iseli, Victor, Herlekson, Earl, Eerden, Jacco, Fong, Shannon, Crawford, Michael, Kao, Chuni
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• 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 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/338 Recording by printing on paper
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An ECG monitoring system for ambulatory patients includes a battery-powered ECG monitor which attaches to a patient to receive patient electrical signals. A processor continuously processes received ECG signals and stores the signals in memory in the monitor. A wireless transceiver in the ECG monitor transmits the processed ECG signals to a cellphone handset. The battery of the monitor is recharged when the monitor is properly positioned in a charging dock, during which time the ECG signals are sent to the cellphone handset. Preferably the cellphone handset is recharged by the charging dock at the same time. At the conclusion of recharging and data transfer the monitor performs a self-test. A light on the charging dock is illuminated if any of the operations performed while the monitor is docked is unsuccessful.

Claims

1. An ECG monitoring system for cardiac monitoring of an ambulatory patient comprising:

a battery powered ECG monitor adapted to receive cardiac signals from an electrode attached to a patient, the ECG monitor further including an ECG signal processor, a memory for storing processed ECG signals, and a transceiver for wirelessly transmitting ECG signal data;

a cellphone handset including cellphone electronics operable for communication over a cellular network and a transceiver for wirelessly receiving ECG signal data from the ECG monitor; and

a charging dock to which the ECG monitor may be coupled when not receiving cardiac signals from a patient, the charging dock being operable to recharge the battery of the battery powered ECG monitor.

2. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ECG monitor is further operable, when coupled to the charging dock, to wirelessly transmit ECG signals stored in the memory to the cellphone handset. 25

3. The ECG monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the cellphone handset is further responsive to the receipt of ECG signals from the ECG monitor for sending the ECG signals to a monitoring center over the cellular network.

4. The ECG monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the ECG monitor is further operable, following transmission of the ECG signals stored in the memory to the cellphone handset, to clear the stored ECG signals from the memory.

5. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the charging dock is further operable to recharge the cellphone handset while the battery of the battery powered ECG monitor is being recharged.

6. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ECG monitor further includes a processor for automatically performing a self-test of the ECG monitor when the ECG monitor has been coupled to the charging dock for recharging.

7. The ECG monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the self-test is performed at the conclusion of recharging by the charging dock.

8. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the charging dock is operable to recharge the battery of the battery powered ECG monitor after verification that the ECG monitor has been properly coupled to the charging dock.

9. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ECG monitor further includes a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the battery;

and

wherein the charging dock further includes a compartment into which the ECG monitor is located for recharging;

a plurality of contacts located in the compartment which engage the ECG monitor contacts for recharging when the ECG monitor is properly located in the compartment; and

a lid which must be closed during recharge of the battery of the ECG monitor.

10. The ECG monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the ECG monitor is keyed for proper placement in the compartment;

and

wherein the compartment is correspondingly keyed to engage the keying of the ECG monitor when the ECG monitor is properly placed in the compartment.

11. The ECG monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising circuitry adapted to verify that the electrical contacts of the ECG monitor are properly engaged with the contacts located in the compartment of the charging dock.

12. The ECG monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the electrical contacts of the ECG monitor are properly engaged with the contacts located in the compartment only when the lid is closed.

13. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the charging dock further comprises a light which is illuminated while the battery of the ECG monitor is being recharged.

14. The ECG monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the illumination of the light is changed if recharge of the battery of the ECG monitor is unsuccessful.

15. The ECG monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the ECG monitor is further operable to perform a self-test at the conclusion of recharging;

wherein the illumination of the light is changed if the result of the self-test is undesirable.

16. The ECG monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the ECG monitor is further operable to transmit processed ECG signals stored in the memory to the cellphone handset while the ECG monitor is coupled to the charging dock,

wherein the illumination of the light is changed if the transmitted ECG signals are not properly received.

17. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, wherein ECG monitor further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the ECG signal processor;

and

wherein the charging dock is further operable to apply test signals to the electrical contacts for testing of the ECG signal processor of the ECG monitor.

18. The ECG monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a second battery powered ECG monitor which may also be recharged by the charging dock,

wherein the second battery powered ECG monitor receives cardiac signals from the patient while the first ECG monitor is being recharged by the charging dock.