BODY MEASUREMENT AND IMAGING WITH A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130018240A1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kim Mccoy
• Original Assignee: Kim Mccoy
• Inventors: McCoy, Kim
• Application Number:
  US13/448,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20130018240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

A standard handheld cellular telephone for obtaining diagnostic data is described. In at least one aspect, a standard handheld cellular telephone has a processor, a cellular transceiver, a signal transmitter, a signal receiver and memory for storing instructions for execution by the processor. The acoustic, electromagnetic, optical, and positioning functions of a cellular telephone are exploited. The standard handheld cellular telephone is configured to be capable of performing operations including causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium when the signal transmitter is placed adjacent to the medium, receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal after the transmitted signal has passed at least in part through the medium, and obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations.

Claims

1. A handheld diagnostic device comprising:

a standard handheld cellular telephone having a processor, a cellular transceiver, a signal transmitter, a signal receiver, and memory for storing instructions for execution by the processor; and

wherein the standard handheld cellular telephone is configured to be capable of performing operations including;

(a) causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium when the signal transmitter is placed adjacent to the medium;

(b) receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal after the transmitted signal has passed at least in part through the medium; and

(c) obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations.

2. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an acoustic speaker, and the signal receiver comprises an acoustic microphone.

3. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 2, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the acoustic speaker to transmit an acoustic signal at a predetermined tone along a direction of blood flow in a body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations comprises measuring a Doppler shift in a frequency of the transmitted signal and the one or more signal propagations, wherein the diagnostic data includes data regarding at least one of blood flow, vascular status, or heart hemodynamics.

4. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a light emitter, and the signal receiver comprises an image sensor.

5. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 4, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the light emitter to transmit light through a body part;

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal comprises receiving with the image sensor spectral information after the transmitted light has passed at least in part through the body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more propagations comprises obtaining data regarding tissue health or oxygen saturation levels.

6. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an electromagnetic transmitter, and the signal receiver comprises an electromagnetic receiver.

7. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 6, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the electromagnetic transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic signal through a body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations comprises detecting a change between the electromagnetic signal and the received one or more signal propagations, wherein the diagnostic data includes data regarding at least one of bulk conductivity of the body part, bulk conductivity of blood in the body part, specific ionic content of blood in the body part, or dehydration of tissue in the body part.

8. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 6, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the electromagnetic transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic signal to excite a radio frequency (RF) transmitter at a known location on or in a body part; and

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal comprises receiving an excitation signal from the RF transmitter.

9. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises a body part, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding the size of an organ in the body part.

10. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises a body part including bone, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding bone density.

11. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises a body part including an eye, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding at least one of ocular pressure, eye geometry, or eye anomalies.

12. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises a body part, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding a foreign object in the body part.

13. The handheld diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the standard handheld cellular telephone is configured to be capable of performing operations further including:

providing instructions regarding how to position the standard handheld cellular telephone at a location adjacent to the medium;

performing operations (a), (b), and (c);

providing instructions regarding how to reposition the standard handheld cellular telephone to a new location adjacent to the medium; and

repeating the operations (a), (b), and (c).

14. A method of manufacturing a handheld diagnostic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a standard handheld cellular telephone having a processor, a cellular transceiver, a signal transmitter, a signal receiver, and memory for storing instructions for execution by the processor; and

configuring the standard handheld cellular telephone to be capable of performing operations including;

(a) causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium when the signal transmitter is placed adjacent to the medium;

(b) receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal after the transmitted signal has passed at least in part through the medium; and

(c) obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an acoustic speaker, and the signal receiver comprises an acoustic microphone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the acoustic speaker to transmit an acoustic signal at a predetermined tone along a direction of blood flow in a body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations comprises measuring a Doppler shift in a frequency of the transmitted signal and the one or more signal propagations, wherein the diagnostic data includes data regarding at least one of blood flow, vascular status, or heart hemodynamics.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a light emitter, and the signal receiver comprises an image sensor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the light emitter to transmit light through a body part;

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal comprises receiving with the image sensor spectral information after the transmitted light has passed at least in part through the body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more propagations comprises obtaining data regarding tissue health or oxygen saturation levels.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an electromagnetic transmitter and the signal receiver comprises an electromagnetic receiver.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the electromagnetic transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic signal through a body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations comprises detecting a change between the electromagnetic signal and the received one or more signal propagations, wherein the diagnostic data includes data regarding at least one of bulk conductivity of the body part, bulk conductivity of blood in the body part, specific ionic content of blood in the body part, or dehydration of tissue in the body part.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the electromagnetic transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic signal to excite a radio frequency (RF) transmitter at a known location on or in a body part; and

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal comprises receiving an excitation signal from the RF transmitter.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium comprises a body part, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding the size of an organ in the body part.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium comprises a body part including bone, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding bone density.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium comprises a body part including an eye, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding at least one of ocular pressure, eye geometry, or eye anomalies.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium comprises a body part, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding a foreign object in the body part.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the standard handheld cellular telephone is configured to be capable of performing operations further including:

providing instructions regarding how to position the standard handheld cellular telephone at a location adjacent to the medium;

performing operations (a), (b), and (c);

providing instructions regarding how to reposition the standard handheld cellular telephone to a new location adjacent to the medium; and

repeating the operations (a), (b), and (c).

27. A method performed by a standard handheld cellular telephone having a processor, a cellular transceiver, a signal transmitter, a signal receiver, and memory for storing instructions for execution by the processor, the method comprising:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium when the signal transmitter is placed adjacent to the medium;

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal after the transmitted signal has passed at least in part through the medium; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an acoustic speaker, and the signal receiver comprises an acoustic microphone.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the acoustic speaker to transmit an acoustic signal at a predetermined tone along a direction of blood flow in a body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations comprises measuring a Doppler shift in a frequency of the transmitted signal and the one or more signal propagations, wherein the diagnostic data includes data regarding at least one of blood flow, vascular status, or heart hemodynamics.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the signal transmitter comprises a light emitter, and the signal receiver comprises an image sensor.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the light emitter to transmit light through a body part;

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal comprises receiving with the image sensor spectral information after the transmitted light has passed at least in part through the body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more propagations comprises obtaining data regarding tissue health or oxygen saturation levels.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an electromagnetic transmitter, and the signal receiver comprises an electromagnetic receiver.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the electromagnetic transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic signal through a body part; and

obtaining diagnostic data from the received one or more signal propagations comprises detecting a change between the electromagnetic signal and the received one or more signal propagations, wherein the diagnostic data includes data regarding at least one of bulk conductivity of the body part, bulk conductivity of blood in the body part, specific ionic content of blood in the body part, or dehydration of tissue in the body part.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein:

causing the signal transmitter to transmit a signal through a medium comprises causing the electromagnetic transmitter to transmit an electromagnetic signal to excite a radio frequency (RF) transmitter at a known location on or in a body part; and

receiving with the signal receiver one or more propagations of the transmitted signal comprises receiving an excitation signal from the RF transmitter.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the medium comprises a body part, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding the size of an organ in the body part.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the medium comprises a body part including bone, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding bone density.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the medium comprises a body part including an eye, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding at least one of ocular pressure, eye geometry, or eye anomalies.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the medium comprises a body part, and the diagnostic data comprises data regarding a foreign object in the body part.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein the standard handheld cellular telephone is configured to be capable of performing operations further including:

providing instructions regarding how to position the standard handheld cellular telephone at a location adjacent to the medium;

performing operations of claim 27 providing instructions regarding how to reposition the standard handheld cellular telephone to a new location adjacent to the medium; and

repeating the operations of claim 27

40. A method performed by a standard handheld cellular telephone having a processor, a cellular transceiver, an acoustic transmitter, an acoustic receiver, and memory for storing instructions for execution by the processor, the method comprising:

transmitting with the acoustic transmitter a first acoustic signal through a first lung;

receiving with the acoustic receiver one or more first signal propagations of the transmitted first acoustic signal after the transmitted first acoustic signal has passed at least in part through the first lung;

generating a first spectrogram from the received one or more first signal propagations;

transmitting with the acoustic transmitter a second acoustic signal through a second lung;

receiving with the acoustic receiver one or more second signal propagations of the transmitted second acoustic signal after the transmitted second acoustic signal has passed at least in part through the second lung;

generating a second spectrogram from the received one or more second signal propagations; and

comparing the first spectrogram with the second spectrogram to identify a change in a resonance frequency from the first lung and the second lung.