DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND COMMUNICATING BIOMETRIC DATA OF A DIVER

• US 20120065486A1
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Inventors: Imran, Mir
• Granted Patent: US 9,320,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0247 for compensation or correction of the measured physiological value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/18 Shielding or protection of sensors from environmental influences, e.g. protection from mechanical damage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7228 Signal modulation applied to the input signal sent to patient or subject; demodulation to recover the physiological signal modulation H03C
• 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: A61B 5/7296 for compensation of signal variation due to stress unintentionally induced in the patient, e.g. due to the stress of the medical environment or examination deliberately inducing physiological or psychological stress A61B5/4884
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/007 autonomously operating
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/00 : Buoys floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06; means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/00 : Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/02 : Divers' equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/26 : Communication means, e.g. means for signalling the presence of diverselectric communication in general H04

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring biometric data of a diver and signaling those data from a first communication device to other communication devices, e.g., those of other divers, on a ship or buoy. A signal generated from a device of the diver can generate a diver identifier, an indication of a stress state of the diver and the diver'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A system for measuring and acoustically signaling a blood gas saturation of a diver, the system comprising:

a sensor device, the sensor device comprising a support layer for positioning the sensor device on the diver, the support layer including a light emitter and detector configured to emit and detect light at a wavelength having an absorbance corresponding to a blood gas saturation level of the diver;

a processor coupled to the emitter and detector and configured to control (i) a characteristic of the emitted light, (ii) determine a blood gas saturation level based on an output from the sensor device, and (iii) generate an output signal for an acoustical transmission device that is based on the blood gas saturation level, the output signal being used to acoustically signal the blood gas saturation level to an acoustical receiving device; and

a power source for powering at least one of the processor, the sensor device, and the acoustical transmission device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the blood gas saturation level is a blood oxygen saturation level and the light emitter and detector are configured to emit and detect light at a wavelength having an absorbance corresponding to blood oxygen saturation level.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the wavelength includes at least a first and a second wavelength.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the acoustical transmission device comprises at least one acoustical transducer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one acoustical transducer comprises an ultrasonic transducer.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the acoustical transducer is configured to emit acoustical signals in a range from about 20 to 150 kHz.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the support layer is configured to be worn on an appendage of the diver.

8. The system of claim 7, the support layer is configured to provide a watertight seal for holding the emitter and detector against the appendage.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the support layer comprises an elastic band worn at least partly around the appendage.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the support layer comprises a strip configured to be worn over the appendage, the strip including an attachment feature to hold the strip in place.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the attachment feature comprises a clip, snap or VELCRO.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the appendage is a finger.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the emitted light comprises at least one of a duration or intensity of the light.

14. A method for monitoring a blood gas saturation level of a diver, the method comprising:

emitting light into a diver'"'"'s skin at a wavelength having an absorbance associated with the blood gas saturation level, the intensity of the light modulated for an underwater condition;

detecting an intensity of a reflected or transmitted light from the diver'"'"'s skin; and

determining the blood gas saturation level of the diver utilizing the detected intensity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the diver is a SCUBA diver.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the intensity of the emitted light is modulated responsive to a depth of the diver.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the intensity of the emitted light is modulated responsive to a water temperature.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the intensity of the emitted light is modulated responsive to a water salinity.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the intensity of the emitted light is modulated responsive to a light absorbance of water near the diver'"'"'s skin.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the blood gas saturation is a blood oxygen saturation, the method further comprising:

alerting the diver when the blood oxygen saturation level is at or below a threshold level.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold level is about 95% saturation.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold level is about 90% saturation.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating an acoustical signal including information on the blood gas saturation level, the acoustical signal configured to be transmitted underwater; and

transmitting the acoustical signal from a first communication device proximate the diver to a second communication device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second communication device is positioned at or near the water surface.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second communication device is positioned on a buoy.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the buoy is self-propelled and includes a control system configured to maintain the buoy within an effective communication range of the first communication device.

27. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a low power magnetic signal including information on the blood gas saturation level, the magnetic signal configured to be transmitted underwater; and

transmitting the magnetic signal from a first magnetic communication device to a second magnetic communication device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first magnetic communication device is contained in a sensor device positioned near the diver'"'"'s finger.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second magnetic communication device is contained in a dive watch.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the first magnetic communication device is contained in a sensor device positioned proximate to the diver'"'"'s finger.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second magnetic communication devices are positioned within about six inches of each other.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

converting the lower power magnetic signal into an acoustical signal including information on the blood gas saturation level, the acoustical signal configured to be transmitted underwater; and

transmitting the acoustical signal from a first acoustical communication device proximate the diver to a second acoustical communication device.

33. A method for monitoring biometric data of a diver, the method comprising:

monitoring biometric data of a diver using an underwater monitoring device;

using the monitored data, determining if the diver is in a state of physiological stress or a precursor state of physiological stress; and

generating and communicating an acoustical distress signal from an acoustical communication device associated with the diver to another acoustical communication device, wherein the distress signal includes an acoustical signature unique to the diver and information on the stress state or precursor stress state.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the diver is a SCUBA diver.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the distress signal includes information on the diver'"'"'s position.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the position information includes the diver'"'"'s absolute position or a position relative to the another acoustical communication device.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the data are adjusted for at least one of a depth of the diver, a water temperature, a water salinity or an optical condition adjacent the diver'"'"'s skin.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the acoustical communication device is worn by the diver.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the monitored data includes a blood oxygen saturation level.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein stress state occurs when the diver'"'"'s blood oxygen saturation falls below a threshold level and the distress signal includes information that the diver has or is about to develop hypoxia.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the monitored data includes a blood nitrogen saturation level.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein stress state occurs when the diver'"'"'s blood nitrogen saturation level exceeds a threshold, falls below a threshold, or rapidly changes and the distress signal includes information that the diver has or is about to develop the bends.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the distress signal is sent at a different frequency than that used for non-distress communications by the diver'"'"'s acoustical communication device.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the distress signal includes a priority over-ride signal for putting other acoustical communication devices in range of the diver'"'"'s communication device into a listening mode for a select period of time.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein the another acoustical communication device is associated with another diver, a surface ship or a buoy.

46. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

generating a signal to alert the diver to surface.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising

generating signals to assist the diver in surfacing.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the diver assist signals include information on a rate of ascent or periods to wait at selected depths in order to minimize the possibility of developing the bends.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the assist signals comprise audio or visual cues to the diver to assist in surfacing.