INDEPENDENT NON-INTERFERING WEARABLE HEALTH MONITORING AND ALERT SYSTEM

• US 20140206948A1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HealthWatch Ltd
• Original Assignee: HealthWatch Ltd
• Inventors: Romem, Yoram
• Granted Patent: US 9,895,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A seamless, substantially continuous, independent and wearable health monitoring and self-alert system, configured for use by a living being on a daily basis, including by a healthy living being. The wearable health monitoring and self-alert system includes a garment worn by the living being adjacently to preconfigured portions of the body of the living being. The system further includes a garment-control device that includes a garment-processor and a battery. The system further includes a multi-lead ECG measuring device including multiple electrodes or probe-devices embedded into the garment, and an alerting unit. Preferably, the system further includes multiple sensing devices selected from the group consisting of sensors and electrodes. At least one of the sensing devices is embedded into the garment, wherein each of the sensing devices is configured to detect a predetermined physiological or chemical parameter of the living being.

Claims

1. A seamless independent wearable health monitoring and self-alert system, configured for use by a living being on a daily basis, including a healthy living being, the system comprising:

a) a garment worn by the living being adjacently to preconfigured portions of the body of the living being;

b) a garment-control device comprising;

i) a garment-processor; and

ii) a battery;

c) a multi-lead ECG measuring device comprising multiple electrodes or probe-devices, wherein said multi-lead ECG measuring device is adapted to provide at least a fifteen-lead electrocardiogram waveform;

d) a remote-processor;

e) a transmitter; and

f) an alerting unit,

wherein said multiple electrodes of said multi-lead ECG measuring device are made of washable conductive yarn, embedded into said garment;

wherein said multi-lead ECG measuring device is configured to detect continuous cardiac electrical activity;

wherein said garment-processor is integrated in said garment and is in operational communication flow with said multi-lead ECG measuring device;

wherein said garment-processor analyzes said detected continuous cardiac electrical activity to thereby determine if one or more ECG-parameters of said detected continuous cardiac electrical activity, or a combination thereof, is abnormal, and thereby determines suspected-as-abnormal ECG-parameters;

wherein said remote-processor is built into a personal mobile device, such as a smartphone, coupled with the living being;

wherein said garment-processor is adapted to receive said ECG-parameters and to transmit said suspected-as-abnormal ECG-parameters, by said transmitter, to said remote-processor;

wherein said remote-processor analyzes said suspected-as-abnormal ECG-parameters to thereby determine if one or more suspected-as-abnormal ECG-parameters, or a combination thereof, is abnormal; and

wherein, when at least one of said suspected-as-abnormal ECG-parameters, or a combination thereof, is determined to be abnormal, said alerting unit is operatively activated by said remote-processor to issue, in real time, a personal-alert to the living being carrying the health monitoring and self-alert system.

2. The health monitoring and self-alert system, as in claim 1, further comprises:

g) multiple sensing devices selected from the group consisting of sensors and electrodes,

wherein at least one of said sensing devices is embedded into said garment;

wherein each of said sensing devices is configured to detect a predetermined physiological or chemical parameter of the living being;

wherein said garment-processor is integrated in said garment and is in operational communication flow with said sensing devices;

wherein said garment-processor further analyzes said detected parameters to thereby determine if one or more of said detected parameters, or a combination thereof, or in combination with said ECG-parameters, is abnormal, and thereby determines suspected-as-abnormal detected-parameters;

wherein said garment-processor is adapted to transmit said suspected-as-abnormal detected-parameters, by said transmitter, to said remote-processor;

wherein said remote-processor analyzes said suspected-as-abnormal detected-parameters to thereby determine if one or more suspected-as-abnormal detected-parameters, or a combination thereof, or in combination with said ECG-parameters, is abnormal; and

wherein, when at least one of said suspected-as-abnormal detected-parameters, or a combination thereof, or a combination thereof, or in combination with said ECG-parameters, is determined to be abnormal, said alerting unit is operatively activated by said remote-processor to issue, in real time, a personal-alert to said living being carrying the health monitoring and self-alert system.

3. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 1, wherein said health monitoring system is adapted to operate substantially continuously.

6. The health monitoring system as in claim 2, wherein said garment comprises conductive threads, adapted to provide said communication flow of said detected parameters from one or more of said sensing devices to said garment-processor.

7. The health monitoring system as in claim 1, wherein said multi-lead ECG measuring device comprising at least twelve electrodes, facilitating 15-lead, clinical level ECG measurements clinical level cardiologic ischemia analysis, wherein said clinical level cardiologic ischemia analysis is adapted to detect health abnormalities selected from the group including ST elevation, ST depression, T-wave inversion and new left bundle branch block.

10. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 2, wherein one or more of said sensing devices are accelerometers, configured to detect motion and posture position of the living being, wherein said clinical level cardiologic ischemia analysis includes body motion &

posture compensations, adapted to issue said personal-alert either in rest or in active states of the living being.

14. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 2, wherein one or more of said sensing devices and/or said probe devices comprise:

c) a multiplicity of substantially identical sensors or electrodes; and

d) a probe processor,

wherein said identical sensors or electrodes are configured to sense the same physiological or chemical parameter of the living being;

wherein said probe processor is preconfigured to select a best sensed-signal out of the signals provided by said identical sensors or electrodes;

wherein said best sensed-signal is selected according to a pre-configured selection-methodology; and

wherein said best sensed-signal is transmitted to said garment-processor.

15. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 14, wherein said selection-methodology comprises selecting the signal being the strongest, having the best SNR or a combination thereof;

or wherein said selection-methodology comprises selecting the signal or waveform that best matches a predetermined personalized signal or waveform, or that best matches auto-adapted “

normal”

signal or waveform based on personal history and trends, or a combination thereof.

17. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 2, wherein said multiple sensing devices comprise respiration detecting sensors to thereby detect respiration abnormalities, including Sleep Apnea and Dyspnea and preferably skin temperature and reflectance pulse oxymetersweat analysis sensors.

19. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 1, wherein the living being is an animal and wherein said mobile computing device is coupled with the caretaker of said animal.

22. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 1, wherein said mobile device, having a display, includes a calibration application, performed by said remote-processor, comprising the steps of:

a) displaying a garment-body illustration of said garment-body;

b) activating each of said sensing devices, wherein for each of said sensing devices;

i) analyzing the signal of said sensor;

ii) determining the quality of said signal; and

iii) displaying a go/no-go indication for said signal.

23. The health monitoring and self-alert system, as in claim 1, wherein said monitoring-garment comprises a controlled adjustable tightening-mechanism, adapted to facilitate the tightening of specific regions of said monitoring-garment, when a specific sensor requires better contact with the body of the living being.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11-13. -13. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A probe device configured to detect a predetermined physiological or chemical parameter of a particular living being, including a moving living being, comprising:

a) a multiplicity of substantially identical sensors or electrodes;

b) a probe processor; and

c) a communication line,

wherein said identical sensors or electrodes are configured to sense the same physiological or chemical parameter of the particular living being;

wherein said probe processor is preconfigured to select a best sensed-signal out of the signals provided by said identical sensors or electrodes;

wherein said best sensed-signal is selected according to a preconfigured selection-methodology; and

wherein said best sensed-signal is transmitted to predetermined target recipient.

28. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 27, wherein said selection-methodology comprises selecting the signal being the strongest, having the best SNR or a combination thereof;

or wherein said selection-methodology comprises selecting the signal best matches a predetermined personalized signal or waveform, or best matches auto-adapted “

normal”

signal or waveform based on personal history and trends, or a combination thereof, wherein said “

normal”

signal is selected from the group including;

a) the average normal signal of living beings of the same species of the particular living being;

b) the average normal signal of living beings of the same gender of the particular living being;

c) the average normal signal of living beings of the same age group of the particular living being; and

d) a value set by the physician of the particular living being; and

,

e) a signal or waveform that best matches auto-adapted personal “

normal”

signal or waveform based on personal history and trends

or from a combination thereof.

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. A method for monitoring the health status of a living being and issuing a personal-alert upon detecting a potentially health hazardous situation, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a seamless independent wearable health monitoring and self-alert system, configured for use by living being on a daily basis, including a healthy living being, the system comprising;

i. a garment worn by the living being adjacently to preconfigured portions of the body of the living being;

ii. a garment-processor;

iii. a multiple sensing devices selected from the group consisting of sensors, accelerometers and electrodes;

iv. a remote-processor;

v. a transmitter; and

vi. an alerting unit,

wherein at least one of said sensing devices is embedded into said garment;

wherein each of said sensing devices is configured to detect a predetermined physiological or chemical parameter of the living being;

wherein said garment-processor is in operational communication flow with said sensing devices and said remote-processor;

wherein said remote-processor is built into a personal mobile device, such as a smart-phone, coupled with the living being;

wherein said garment-processor is adapted to receive said ECG-parameters and/or said detected parameters and transmit said received parameters by said transmitter to said remote-processor;

b) sensing designated health related parameter by said sensors, thereby obtaining sensed data;

c) analyzing said sensed by said garment-processor, to thereby create analyzed sensed data;

d) determining if said analyzed sensed data is abnormal;

e) if said analyzed sensed data is determined to be abnormal, transmitting said analyzed sensed data to said remote-processor; and

f) activating said alert unit by said remote-processor to thereby issue a personal-alert to the living being, in real time.

33. The health monitoring and self-alert system as in claim 32, wherein said determining if said analyzed sensed data is abnormal, includes considering the current motion-posture state of the living being.

34. The health monitoring and self-alert method as in claim 32, wherein said determining if said analyzed sensed data is abnormal, includes considering respective threshold values, number of leads, number of contiguous leads or a combination thereof.

35. The health monitoring and self-alert method as in claim 32, wherein said remote-processor further analyzes said analyzed sensed data, to thereby determine if to issue a personal-alert and optionally, determining the level of said personal-alert.

36. (canceled)

37. The health monitoring and self-alert method as in claim 36, wherein said determining said level of said personal-alert is determined based on a single health related event, multiple health related events, health related patterns or a combination thereof;

wherein said single health related event includes biasing data selected from the group including;

degree of abnormality, motion and posture considerations, temporary treatment effects, activity effects and confidence level; and

wherein said multiple health related events, health related patterns include biasing data selected from the group including;

first or repeated event, number of abnormal parameters in one measuring interval, repeated known pattern, new pattern, consistency and confidence level.

40. The health monitoring and self-alert method as in claim 36, wherein said determining said level of said personal-alert is determined based on personal data pre-entered by a professional person, acquainted with the living being.

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

41. A method for preliminarily analyzing and sorting-out sensed data obtained by multiple sensors, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a seamless independent wearable health monitoring and self-alert system, configured for use by living being on a daily basis, including a healthy living being, the system comprising;

i. a garment worn by the living being adjacently to preconfigured portions of the body of the living being;

ii. a garment-processor; and

iii. a multiple sensing devices selected from the group consisting of sensors and electrodes,

wherein at least one of said sensing devices is embedded into said garment;

wherein each of said sensing devices is configured to detect a predetermined physiological or chemical parameter of the living being;

wherein said garment-processor is in operational communication flow with said sensing devices; and

wherein said garment-processor activates said sensors in cycles having a preconfigured time interval; and

b) activating said sensors, by said garment-processor, in cycles having a preconfigured sequence and time interval, wherein each cycle comprises the steps of;

i. selecting next sensor_i;

ii. obtaining sensed data from sensor_i;

iii. determining if said sensed data is abnormal; and

iv. if said sensed data is determined to be abnormal, transmitting said sensed data to a preconfigured target receiver.