SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING A PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETER OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• US 20130060168A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riddell Incorporated (BRG Sports, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Riddell Incorporated (BRG Sports, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chu, Jeffrey J., Greenwald, Richard M., Beckwith, Jonathan G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,105,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present disclosure provides system and method for monitoring of at least one physiological parameter of a person engaged in a physical activity, for example, an impact received by a player engaged in a contact sport such as football. The system includes a monitoring unit that actively monitors the physiological parameter of the person, wherein the monitoring unit generates an alert event when the monitored physiological parameter exceeds a threshold of the parameter. The monitoring unit determines whether the parameter exceeds an over-exposure threshold, wherein said threshold is based upon both a single incidence or cumulative incidences.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring of at least one physiological parameter of multiple players engaged in a contact sport, the system comprising:

a plurality of monitoring units, each monitoring being associated with a specific player and having a sensor assembly that actively monitors at least one physiological parameter of the player while engaged in the contact sport to determine a physiological parameter value,

wherein the monitoring unit selectively generates a first alert when the physiological parameter value exceeds a first predetermined threshold based upon a single incidence of the physiological parameter and a second alert when the physiological parameter value exceeds a second predetermined threshold based upon cumulative incidences of the physiological parameter; and

,

a portable alert unit that receives the first alert and second alert transmitted from a particular monitoring unit and displays information relating to the particular alert to a user of the system.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein each monitoring unit is configured as an in-helmet unit positioned within in a protective helmet worn by a player engaged in the contact sport.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the sensor assembly comprises a plurality of sensors formed from an electret film.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the sensor assembly is positioned within an overliner that is wearable adjacent the player'"'"'s head while the player is engaged in the contact sport.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4 further comprising a protective sports helmet worn by each player engaged in the contact sport, wherein the sports helmet includes an internal padding assembly and wherein the overliner is positioned between the player'"'"'s head and the internal padding assembly when the sports helmet is worn by the player.

6. The monitoring system of claim 5 wherein the sensor assembly is operably connected to a control module, and the sensor assembly further comprises a front sensor positioned adjacent a front region of the sports helmet, a rear sensor positioned adjacent a rear region of the sports helmet, a left sensor positioned adjacent a left region of the sports helmet, a right sensor positioned adjacent a right region of the sports helmet and a top sensor positioned adjacent a top region of the sports helmet.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a protective sports helmet worn by each player engaged in the contact sport, wherein the physiological parameter actively monitored by the sensor assembly is the pressure resulting from an impact to the helmet worn by the player during play of the contact sport.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein the first predetermined threshold takes into account the player'"'"'s skill level.

9. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein the first predetermined threshold takes into account the player'"'"'s position.

10. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein the second predetermined threshold includes cumulative impact incidences occurring during a prior time interval.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10 wherein an old impact incidence can be removed from a monitoring unit accumulator when they age beyond the prior time interval.

12. The monitoring system of claim 10 wherein a new impact incidence can be added to the monitoring unit accumulator and an old impact incidence is removed from the accumulator.

13. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the physiological parameter value is correlated to a multi-dimensional severity measure and then compared against the first predetermined threshold.

14. The monitoring system of claim 10 wherein the multi-dimensional severity measure includes inputs for linear acceleration and impact direction.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the multi-dimensional severity measure includes inputs for the Head Injury Criterion and the Gadd Severity Index.