Health Monitoring

• US 20140058280A1
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Isansys Lifecare Limited
• Original Assignee: Isansys Lifecare Limited
• Inventors: Weir, Rebecca, Errey, Keith, Chefles, Anthony, Morrison, Rory
• Granted Patent: US 10,049,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/521
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Health monitoring devices allow for monitoring of the vital signs of a subject. Wireless devices can enable a subject'"'"'s cardiac and/or respiratory functions to be monitored remotely, e.g. without the subject being attached to bedside equipment. A cardiac monitoring device may include a substrate, electrodes for measuring ECG signals, and an electronics module including a data processor and a wireless transmitter. The electronics module is sealed within the substrate and arranged to receive the measured ECG signals. Each ECG signal associated with a heartbeat is processed in the data processor to provide key data relating to that heartbeat. The key data may include the temporal position of a characteristic feature in the ECG signal. The key data is provided to the wireless transmitter for transmission.

Claims

1. A cardiac monitoring device comprising a wearable unit comprising:

a substrate;

a measuring arrangement for measuring ECG signals;

a data processing arrangement comprising a data processor; and

a wireless transmitter;

wherein the data processing arrangement is sealed within the substrate and arranged to receive the measured ECG signals, to obtain sampled signal data by sampling each ECG signal associated with a heartbeat, to process the sampled signal data in the data processor to extract key data relating to that heartbeat, and to provide the key data to the wireless transmitter for transmission; and

wherein the data processor is programmed to apply a time window to the sampled signal data to isolate at least a portion of the data associated with a given heartbeat and measure amplitude changes in that window, the amplitude changes being used to identify key data comprising a temporal position of a characteristic feature in the ECG signal and at least one further time or amplitude value corresponding to one or more pre-defined features of the ECG signal.

2. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the characteristic feature is an R-peak or T-wave.

3. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processor digitises the measured ECG signals at a rate of around 1 kHz.

4. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processor can be programmed to run an algorithm that identifies a pre-defined feature of interest in the ECG signal for a particular subject being monitored.

5. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing arrangement comprises a memory and the data processor may be programmed to run a particular algorithm selected from a number of programs stored in the memory.

6. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processor can be programmed by an instruction received by the wireless transmitter.

7. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processor can be re-programmed during use to change the pre-defined feature(s) and the key data identified.

8. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processor is arranged to simultaneously perform amplitude calibration based on the amplitudes measured in each window.

10. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further time or amplitude value(s) is chosen from one or more of:

(i) R-S amplitude;

(ii) temporal position and/or amplitude of a P-wave;

(iii) amplitude variations in a P-wave;

(iv) temporal position and/or amplitude of a T-wave;

(v) amplitude of an S-T segment;

(vi) temporal extent of a Q-T interval; and

(vii) any other value corresponding to a pre-defined feature of interest in the ECG signal.

13. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an analysis of the key data results in an instruction for the device to operate in another mode of operation in which the measured ECG signals are provided to the wireless transmitter for transmission.

14. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is arranged to transmit the key data to a remote receiver on a real-time basis.

15. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is arranged to transmit a message for each heartbeat.

9. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

16-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A health monitoring system comprising a plurality of health monitoring devices, at least one of the devices being wearable by each of a respective plurality of subjects being monitored, and a corresponding plurality of network gateway devices, with each of the network gateway devices being arranged to wirelessly pair with the monitoring device(s) identified as being associated with a given subject being monitored.

28. A health monitoring system as claimed in claim 27, wherein each network gateway device is arranged to carry out one or more of:

(i) receiving identification information relating to the monitoring device(s) with which it is to pair and/or relating to the subject being monitored;

(ii) receiving configuration information relating to the data being wirelessly transmitted from the monitoring device(s) with which it is paired.

30. A health monitoring system as claimed in claim 27, wherein each network gateway device comprises a processor arranged to analyse the data wirelessly transmitted from a monitoring device based on its configuration information.

29. (canceled)

31-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A cardiac monitoring device comprising:

a substrate;

a measuring arrangement for measuring ECG signals;

a data processing arrangement comprising a data processor; and

a wireless transmitter;

wherein the data processing arrangement is sealed within the substrate and arranged to receive the measured ECG signals, to process each ECG signal associated with a heartbeat in the data processor to provide key data relating to that heartbeat, and to provide the key data to the wireless transmitter for transmission, wherein the key data is an RS amplitude and time stamp for a QRS complex peak produced in the ECG signal by a heartbeat.

34. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the data processor is programmed to run a peak identification algorithm that identifies the QRS complex in the ECG signal generated by a given heartbeat by applying a time window to isolate at least a portion of the ECG signal and measuring the difference between a maximum amplitude and a minimum amplitudes in that window.

45. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the device operates in a first mode of operation wherein only the key data is made available.

46. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the device operates in a second mode of operation wherein a measured ECG signal waveform or raw signal data is made available.

47. A cardiac monitoring device as claimed in claim 33, wherein the device operates in a third mode of operation wherein substantially no power is drawn by the data processing arrangement.

35-44. -44. (canceled)

48-53. -53. (canceled)