Body-Associated Receiver and Method

• US 20140236077A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Robertson, Timothy L., Omidvar, Fataneh, Behzadi, Yashar, Arne, Lawrence, Rowberry, Kenneth, Hutchison, James, Leichner, Robert, Savage, George, Thompson, Andrew, Zdeblick, Mark, Kreidler, Marc, Hafezi, Hooman, Duck, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/66
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 : Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Receivers, which may be external or implantable, are provided. Aspects of receivers of the invention include the presence of one or more of: a high power-low power module; an intermediary module; a power supply module configured to activate and deactivate one or more power supplies to a high power processing block; a serial peripheral interface bus connecting master and slave blocks; and a multi-purpose connector. Receivers of the invention may be configured to receive a conductively transmitted signal. Also provided are systems that include the receivers, as well as methods of using the same. Additionally systems and methods are disclosed for using a receiver for coordinating with dosage delivery systems.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A receiver for detection of physiological information associated with a subject, the receiver comprising:

a power source secured within a housing configured for mounting on an exterior surface of the subject;

a power management module electrically coupled to the power source and secured within the housing such that the power management module controls the power source;

a processing unit electrically coupled to the power management module and secured within the housing, wherein the processing unit is configured to detect external to the subject a first signal having a first frequency and corresponding to a first current flow produced by a device located internal to the subject and a second signal having a second frequency and corresponding to a second current flow associated with the subject'"'"'s physiology, wherein the first frequency is greater than the second frequency; and

a communication module electrically coupled to the processing unit and secured within the housing, wherein the communication module allows for communication between the receiver and a device external to the subject such that the receiver is able to provide the physiological information to the external device and to provide control information to another external device based on the physiological information;

wherein the power management module comprises a beacon switching module that generates a signal that allows the power management module to transition an operational state of the receiver depending on the first signal, wherein the receiver is located external to the subject and the first signal is communicated by the device located internal to the subject through the body of the subject and the first signal is received at the receiver as a transbody conductive signal.

36. The receiver of claim 35, further comprising a delivery apparatus secured within the housing, wherein the delivery apparatus includes:

a containment unit that includes;

a chamber to contain a fluid;

a plunger secured to the chamber; and

a microneedle secured to the chamber and capable of piercing the subject'"'"'s skin; and

a control unit, which is electrically coupled to the processing unit, that controls the plunger based on dosage control information provided by the processing unit, wherein the control unit moves the plunger to expel the fluid through the microneedle.

37. The receiver of claim 35, wherein the power management module comprises:

a high power operation module that controls high power output from the power supply to the processing unit when the processing unit is in an active state;

an intermediate power operation module that controls intermediate power output from the power supply to the processing unit while the processing unit is in an active nonoperation state; and

a lower power operation module that controls low power output from the power supply and monitors the subject'"'"'s skin for the high frequency current flow while the processing unit is in an inactive state.

38. The receiver of claim 37, wherein the power management module includes a beacon switching module for sending a signal to the intermediate power operation unit to allow the processing unit to switch to the active non-operation state such that the processing unit is capable of determining if information in the form of high frequency current flow is present and wherein the power management module supplies high power to the processing unit if the processing unit detects information in the form of high frequency current flow.

39. A receiver for detection of physiological information associated with a subject, the receiver comprising:

a power source secured within a housing configured for mounting on an exterior surface of the subject;

a power management module electrically coupled to the power source and secured within the housing;

a processing unit electrically coupled to the power management module and secured within the housing, wherein the processing unit detects and gathers external to the subject the information in the form of high frequency current flow produced by a device located internal to the subject and low frequency current flow associated with the subject'"'"'s physiology; and

a communication module electrically coupled to the processing unit and secured within the housing, wherein the communication module allows for communication between the receiver and a device external to the subject such that the receiver is able to provide the physiological information to the external device and to provide control information to another external device;

wherein the receiver is located external to the subject and the first signal is communicated by the device located internal to the subject through the body of the subject and the first signal is received at the receiver as a transbody conductive signal.

40. The receiver of claim 39, further comprising a delivery apparatus secured within the housing, wherein the delivery apparatus includes:

a containment unit that includes;

a chamber to contain a fluid;

a plunger secured to the chamber; and

a microneedle secured to the chamber and capable of piercing the subject'"'"'s skin; and

a control unit, which is electrically coupled to the processing unit, that controls the plunger based on dosage control information provided by the processing unit, wherein the control unit moves the plunger to expel the fluid through the microneedle.

41. The receiver of claim 39, wherein the power management module comprises:

a high power operation unit that controls high power output from the power supply to the processing unit when the processing unit is in an active state;

an intermediate power operation unit that controls intermediate power output from the power supply to the processing unit while the processing unit is in an active nonoperation state; and

a lower power operation unit that controls low power output from the power supply and monitors the subject'"'"'s skin for the high frequency current flow while the processing unit is in an inactive state.

42. The receiver of claim 41, wherein the power management module includes a beacon switching module for sending a signal to the intermediate power operation unit to allow the processing unit to switch to the active non-operation state such that the processing unit is capable of determining if information in the form of high frequency current flow is present and wherein the power management module supplies high power to the processing unit if the processing unit detects information in the form of high frequency current flow.

43. A receiver for detection of physiological information associated with a subject, the receiver comprising:

a power source secured within a housing configured for mounting on an exterior surface of the subject;

a power management module electrically coupled to the power source and secured within the housing;

a processing unit electrically coupled to the power management module and secured within the housing, wherein the processing unit detects and gathers external to the subject the information in the form of high frequency current flow produced by a device located internal to the subject and low frequency current flow associated with the subject'"'"'s physiology; and

a communication module electrically coupled to the processing unit and secured within the housing, wherein the communication module allows for communication between the receiver and a device external to the subject such that the receiver is able to provide the physiological information to the external device;

wherein the receiver is located external to the subject and the first signal is communicated by the device located internal to the subject through the body of the subject and the first signal is received at the receiver as a transbody conductive signal.

44. The receiver of claim 43, further comprising a delivery apparatus secured within the housing, wherein the delivery apparatus includes:

a containment unit that includes;

a chamber to contain a fluid;

a plunger secured to the chamber; and

a microneedle secured to the chamber and capable of piercing the subject'"'"'s skin; and

a control unit, which is electrically coupled to the processing unit, that controls the plunger based on dosage control information provided by the processing unit, wherein the control unit moves the plunger to expel the fluid through the microneedle.

45. The receiver of claim 43, wherein the power management module comprises:

a high power operation unit that controls high power output from the power supply to the processing unit when the processing unit is in an active state;

an intermediate power operation unit that controls intermediate power output from the power supply to the processing unit while the processing unit is in an active nonoperation state; and

a lower power operation unit that controls low power output from the power supply and monitors the subject'"'"'s skin for the high frequency current flow while the processing unit is in an inactive state.

46. The receiver of claim 45, wherein the power management module includes a beacon switching module for sending a signal to the intermediate power operation unit to allow the processing unit to switch to the active non-operation state such that the processing unit is capable of determining if information in the form of high frequency current flow is present and wherein the power management module supplies high power to the processing unit if the processing unit detects information in the form of high frequency current flow.