PORTABLE TOUCHLESS VITAL SIGN ACQUISITION DEVICE

• US 20120143018A1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frank M. Skidmore, Mark Davidson, Russell S. Donda
• Original Assignee: Frank M. Skidmore, Mark Davidson, Russell S. Donda
• Inventors: Skidmore, Frank M., Davidson, Mark, Donda, Russell S.
• Application Number:
  US13/145,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/243 specially adapted for magnetocardiographic [MCG] signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a non-contact MCG is anticipated as one embodiment. Additionally, a non-contact stethoscope, thermal sensor, or MCG could be utilized singly or in combination with each other, or included singly or together in other medical devices such as a fluoroscope, For example, a handheld, portable instrument comprising a non-contact stethoscope without a magnetometer or thermal sensor can provide a measure of acoustic signals without contacting a subject, while a non-contact thermal sensor as a single device can provide a rapid contactless temperature of a subject

Claims

1. A portable, handheld device for assessing vital signs without needing to contact a subject or any object in contact with the subject, the device comprising singly a magnetometer, singly an acoustic transducer or either or both in combination with a non-contact body temperature measurement device, and at least one battery component.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a magnetometer and acoustic transducer, wherein said at least one battery component is connected to said magnetometer.

18. The device of claim 1 where the signals obtained are transmitted wirelessly to a receiving device.

19. The device of claim 18 where the signal is transmitted via radio waves

20. The device of claim 18 where the signal is transmitted via optical energy

21. The device of claim 1 including a magnetic field detector

22. The device of claim 1 including a non-contact stethoscope.

23. The device of claim 1 including a non-contact body temperature measurement device

24. The device of claim 21 where the magnetic field detector is one of

a. Optical magnetometer

b. Solid State magnetometer

25. The device of claim 21 including magnetic shielding

26. The device of claim 21 where the magnetometer is a scalar magnetometer

27. The device of claim 21 where the magnetometer is an optical magnetometer using a solid state light source

29. The device of claim 1 including a device for optimizing the operational distance from the subject.

30. The device of claim 29 where the device for optimizing the distance is one or more non-parallel visible light beams designed to cross or otherwise come in to an alignment pattern when projected to the subject near the optimal operational distance.

3. A non-contact stethoscope comprising an acoustic transducer for detection of acoustic signals without contacting the subject or any object in contact with the subject.

4. The device of claim 3 where the acoustic transducer is coupled with concentrator for focusing acoustic signals.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said concentrator is dimensioned for focusing acoustic signals toward said acoustic transducer based on size of an acoustic signal generating portion of said subject and based on a predetermined distance range for obtaining acoustic signals from said subject.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said concentrator is sized to focus acoustic signals from said acoustic signal generating portion of said subject of a size 3 feet or less in its broadest dimension.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein said concentrator is sized to focus acoustic signals from said acoustic signal generating portion of said subject at a distance of from about 0.1 inches to 10 feet away, or any specific inch increment therebetween, from said device.

8. Device of claim 4 where the concentrator is a substantially parabolic reflector

9. Device of claim 4 where the concentrator is a waveguide.

10. Device of claim 9 where the waveguide has some tapered component.

11. Device of claim 3 where the acoustic transducer is a microphone element.

12. Device of claim 11 where the microphone element comprises one of the list of

a. Electret microphone

b. Condenser microphone

c. Optical microphone

13. Device of claim 3 with the inclusion of an acoustic-blocking material that blocks some extraneous acoustic energy.

14. Device of claim 3 where the signal is processed to accentuate sounds from a desired source.

15. Device of claim 14 where the source includes one or more of

a. Heart sounds

b. Lung sounds

c. Gut sounds

d. Throat sounds

e. Vascular sounds

16. A non-contact stethoscope comprising an acoustic concentrator coupled to a tube for delivery of the sound waves to the auscultator without the concentrator contacting the subject or any object in contact with the subject.

17. Device of claim 16 with the inclusion of an acoustic-blocking material that blocks some extraneous acoustic energy.

28. A method for optimizing the operational distance of the non-contact measurement system from the subject including two or more non-parallel visible light beams intersecting or otherwise coming in to a predetermined pattern when projected from a distance near the optimum distance from the subject.

31. A method of acquiring vital signs of a patient without contacting the patient, said method comprising placing a medical instrument having an acoustic transducer at a predetermined acquisition distance from the patient.

32. A portable, handheld device for assessing vital signs without needing to contact a subject or any object in contact with the subject, the device equipped to acquire signals comprising singly magnetic signals, singly acoustic signals, or either or both in combination with temperature information from said subject or any object in contact with the subject.