CONTINUOUS OUTPATINET ECG MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20120101396A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 04/26/2012
• 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: Solosko, Thomas, Gehman, Stacy, Lyster, Thomas, Fong, Shannon, Hansen, Kim, Kao, Chuni, Cross, Brett, Mauser, Corinne, Herleikson, Earl, Bishay, Jon, Nammi, Krishnakant
• Granted Patent: US 9,615,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
• 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: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots

Abstract

An ECG monitoring system for ambulatory patients includes a small multi-electrode patch that adhesively attaches to the chest of a patient. A reusable battery-powered ECG monitor clips onto the patch and receives patient electrical signals from the electrodes of the patch. A processor continuously processes received ECG signals and stores the signals in memory in the monitor. The processor also analyzes the received ECG signals for predefined arrhythmia. If an arrhythmia is detected, a wireless transceiver in the ECG monitor transmits the event information and an ECG strip to a cellphone handset. The cellphone handset automatically relays the event information and ECG strip to a monitoring center for further diagnosis and necessary intervention.

Claims

1. A wireless cardiac monitoring system for ambulatory patients comprising:

a disposable electrode patch having an adhesive surface for attachment to the skin of a patient at a location at which multiple ECG signals are to be acquired and including multiple integral electrodes;

a reusable, battery powered ECG monitor adapted to mount to the electrode patch in electrical communication with the multiple electrodes, the ECG monitor including a memory for storing ECG signal data and a transceiver for wirelessly transmitting ECG signal data and receiving information signals; and

a cellphone handset including cellphone electronics operable for communication over a cellular network, a transceiver for wirelessly receiving ECG signal data from the ECG monitor and transmitting information signals received from a monitoring center to the ECG monitor, a memory for storing ECG signal data, and a controller operable to automatically control the cellphone electronics to send ECG signal data received from the ECG monitor to the monitoring center over the cellular network.

2. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the electrode patch further comprises an electrical connector internally electrically connected to the multiple electrodes,

wherein there are no wires extending beyond the periphery of the electrode patch.

3. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the electrode patch further comprises a bracket adapted to retain the ECG monitor in a predetermined orientation on the patch;

wherein the ECG monitor further comprises a plurality of external contacts; and

wherein, when the ECG monitor is mounted to the patch in the predetermined orientation, the external contacts are aligned to engage the electrical connector of the electrode patch.

4. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the electrode patch is keyed to retain the ECG monitor in the predetermined orientation;

and

wherein the ECG monitor is keyed to engage the keying of the electrode patch in the predetermined orientation.

5. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the electrode patch is adapted to provide a tactile indication to a user when the ECG monitor is retained in the predetermined orientation.

6. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the ECG monitor snaps into the bracket when mounted to the electrode patch in the predetermined orientation.

7. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ECG monitor transceiver further comprises a Bluetooth radio;

and

wherein the cellphone handset transceiver further comprises a Bluetooth radio.

8. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the Bluetooth radio of the ECG monitor is operated in a low power mode when not transmitting data to or receiving data from the Bluetooth radio of the cellphone handset.

9. The cardiac monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the low power mode comprises a sniff mode.

10. A wireless cardiac monitoring system comprising:

a disposable electrode patch having a plurality of electrical contacts, a plurality of electrodes, and an adhesive for attaching the patch to the skin of a patient with the electrodes in contact with the skin of the patient, wherein the electrodes are electrically coupled to the electrical contacts without wires extending beyond the periphery of the electrode patch;

a reusable, battery powered ECG monitor adapted to attach to the patch in electrical engagement without wires with the plurality of electrical contacts for the receipt of patient ECG signals, the ECG monitor further comprising an ECG signal processor and a wireless transceiver for transmitting processed ECG signals; and

a cellphone including cellphone electronics operable for communication over a cellular network, and a transceiver for wirelessly receiving processed ECG signals from the wireless transceiver of the ECG monitor,

wherein the cellphone is operable to send the processed ECG signals to a monitoring center over the cellular network.

11. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the ECG monitor further comprises a memory device coupled to store processed ECG signals,

wherein processed ECG signals are stored in the memory device for later transmission when the wireless transceiver of the ECG monitor is not in communication with the cellphone.

12. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the cellphone further comprises a memory device adapted to store processed ECG signals received from the ECG monitor,

wherein processed ECG signals are stored in the memory device of the cellphone when the cellphone is not in communication with a cellular network.

13. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the ECG monitor transceiver further comprises a Bluetooth radio;

and

wherein the cellphone handset transceiver further comprises a Bluetooth radio.

14. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the Bluetooth radio of the ECG monitor is operated in a low power mode when not transmitting data to or receiving data from the Bluetooth radio of the cellphone handset.

15. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the low power mode comprises a sniff mode.

16. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the ECG monitor further comprises an arrhythmia detector responsive to patient ECG signals for the detection of a cardiac event,

wherein the ECG monitor is further operable to wirelessly transmit cardiac event information to the cellphone,

wherein the cellphone is further operable to send cardiac event information to the monitoring center over the cellular network.

17. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the cellphone further comprises a user control operable for indicating the occurrence of a cardiac event,

wherein the cellphone is further operable to send the indication of the occurrence of a cardiac event to the monitoring center over the cellular network.

18. The wireless cardiac monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the transmission of the indication of the occurrence of a cardiac event is accompanied by the transmission of time-matching processed ECG signals to the monitoring center over the cellular network.