Health monitoring bolus

• US 20110301437A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitalwear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vitalwear Incorporated
• Inventors: Gabriel, Karim M., Rooney, James H. III, Ciany, Charles M., Lescanec, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,771,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/007 Boluses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

A bolus for insertion in a body fluid includes a housing, a chamber in the housing admitting body fluid therein, and a transducer in the housing providing a signal through the body fluid for measuring the pH level and/or temperature of the body fluid. The transducer also generates a signal in response to vibrations to detecting one or more additional physiological parameters.

Claims

1. A bolus for insertion in a body fluid, the bolus comprising:

a housing;

a chamber in the housing admitting body fluid therein; and

a transducer in the housing providing a signal through the body fluid for measuring the pH level and/or temperature of the body fluid, the transducer generating a signal in response to vibrations for detecting one or more physiological parameters.

2. The bolus of claim 1 further including one or more layers between the transducer and the chamber for reducing interface reflections.

3. The bolus of claim 1 in which the chamber includes a high acoustic impedance material spaced from the transducer.

4. The bolus of claim 1 further including a medium adjacent the transducer for measuring temperature.

5. The bolus of claim 1 in which the housing further includes a control subsystem configured to activate the transducer to provide said signal through said body fluid and to receive a signal generated by the transducer in response to said vibrations.

6. The bolus of claim 5 further including a power source or energy storage device in the housing for the control subsystem.

7. The bolus of claim 6 further including a charging circuit in the housing for charging the power source or energy storage device.

8. The bolus of claim 7 in which the charging circuit is responsive to a voltage generated by the transducer in response to vibrations received by the transducer, the charging circuit supplying said voltage to the power source or energy storage device.

9. The bolus of claim 5 further including a data processing subsystem responsive to the control subsystem for analyzing signals to make a diagnosis.

10. The bolus of claim 1 further including a transmitter in the housing for transmitting the diagnosis data.

11. The bolus of claim 9 further including a memory for storing diagnosis data and subject unique identification information.

12. A bolus for insertion in a fluid, the bolus comprising:

a chamber admitting fluid therein;

a sensor providing a signal through the fluid for measuring the pH level and/or temperature of the fluid, the sensor generating a signal in response to vibrations for detecting one or more physiological parameters;

a control subsystem configured to activate the sensor to provide a signal through said fluid and to receive a signal generated by the sensor in response to said vibrations;

a data processing subsystem responsive to the control subsystem for analyzing the signals to make a diagnosis; and

a transmitter in the housing for transmitting diagnosis data.

13. The bolus of claim 12 further including one or more layers between the sensor and the chamber for reducing interface reflections.

14. The bolus of claim 12 in which the chamber includes a high impedance material spaced from the sensor.

15. The bolus of claim 12 further including a medium adjacent the sensor for measuring temperature.

16. The bolus of claim 12 further including a power source.

17. The bolus of claim 16 further including a charging circuit for charging the power source.

18. The bolus of claim 17 in which the charging circuit is responsive to a voltage generated by the sensor, the charging circuit supplying said voltage to the power source or energy storage device.

19. The bolus of claim 12 further including a memory for storing diagnosis data and unique subject identification information.

20. A method of determining the health of a subject, the method comprising:

inserting a bolus into the subject, the bolus including a transducer and a chamber admitting fluid therein from the subject;

actuating the transducer to provide a signal through the fluid;

analyzing the signal to measure the pH level and/or the temperature of the fluid; and

analyzing signals generated by the transducer in response to vibrations to detect one or more physiological parameters.

21. The method of claim 20 further including analyzing the signals and making a diagnosis.

22. The method of claim 21 further including transmitting diagnosis data.