THORACIC GARMENT OF POSITIONING ELECTROMAGNETIC (EM) TRANSDUCERS AND METHODS OF USING SUCH THORACIC GARMENT

• US 20140378812A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Inventors: Saroka, Amir, Bar-Or, Jonathan, Mizrahi, Nadav, Rappaport, Dan, Voshin, Leonid, Levi, Tal, Karp, Ofer, Barash, Yiftach, Bergida, Shlomi
• Granted Patent: US 10,307,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• 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 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• 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 5/05 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 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• 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 5/145 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 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue

Abstract

A garment for bringing an EM transducer to contact with a thoracic skin surface area of a wearer is disclosed. The garment comprises a thoracic garment having a EM transducer placement portion and a pressure applying element associated with the EM transducer placement portion for applying a pressure on an EM transducer secured in an associated the EM transducer placement portion when the thoracic garment is worn by a wearer so that the EM transducer applies a respective pressure on a thoracic skin surface area of the wearer.

Claims

1. A thoracic garment for bringing an EM transducer to contact with a thoracic skin surface area of a wearer, comprising:

a thoracic garment having a EM transducer; and

a pressure applying element associated with said EM transducer for applying a pressure on the EM transducer when said thoracic garment is worn by a wearer so that said EM transducer applies a respective pressure on a thoracic skin surface area of said wearer.

2. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said pressure applying element comprises a strap configured to attach said thoracic garment to said wearer in one of a plurality of positions each applying a different of a plurality of pressures on said wearer.

3. The thoracic garment of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to allow said pressure adjusting element to increase said pressure at least until an anterior surface of said EM transducer is in full surface contact with a skin surface of said wearer and to maintain said respective pressure at during a sensing period.

4. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said pressure applying element is associated with a controller set to control a degree of said pressure.

5. The thoracic garment of claim 4, further comprising an undressing detector for detecting an undressing event, said controller reduces said pressure in response to said undressing event.

6. The thoracic garment of claim 4, wherein said controller is set to allow transmitting of EM energy to or by said EM transducer when said pressure is within a predefined range.

7. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said thoracic garment is associated with a controller set to adjust said pressure to maintain said respective pressure above a predetermined threshold during a period of measurements held using said EM transducer.

8. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said respective pressure is between 150 and 500 millibar.

9. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said pressure applying element comprises an extendable member positioned between an anchoring element and said EM transducer, said extendable member having an adjustable length which changes a distance between an anchoring surface and said EM transducer.

10. The thoracic garment of claim 9, wherein said adjustable length is between about 2 centimeters (cm) and about 5 cm.

11. The thoracic garment of claim 9, wherein said extendable member is an inflatable member and wherein said adjusting includes adjusting a fluid pressure within said inflatable member.

12. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said EM transducer structure comprises an EM transducer tilt matching mechanism.

13. The thoracic garment of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of EM transducers and a plurality of extendable members each positioned between an EM transducer and an anchoring surface such that a different pressure may be applied by one extendible member on a respective EM transducer than is applied on another extendible member on a respective EM transducer.

14. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said thoracic garment comprises a non-elastic thoracic portion having width of at least 3 centimeter and extends by no more than 60% of its length when attached to a load weighing 0.5 Kg.

15. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said thoracic garment has a plurality of EM transducer placement portions and a plurality of pressure applying elements associated with plurality of said EM transducer placement portions for applying a pressure on a plurality of EM transducers secured in said EM transducer placement portions when said thoracic garment being worn by said wearer so that each said EM transducer applies said respective pressure on any of a plurality of thoracic skin surface areas of said wearer.

16. The thoracic garment of claim 15, wherein a plurality of the plurality of EM transducers are comprised in a single array positioned in one of a posterior portion of the garment and an anterior portion of the garment.

17. The thoracic garment of claim 13, wherein the plurality of EM transducers are comprised in a single array.

18. A set of thoracic garments, each defined as claimed in claim 1 and each being adjustable to fit different body shape and size.

19. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said EM transducer placement portion is set to be placed above the skin surface of an anterior thoracic skin surface area such that at least 30% of an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of an EM transducer positioned in the EM transducer placement portion will be located between about 2 centimeters (cm) and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the sternum of said wearer and between about 2 cm and about 9 cm below the upper end of the manubrium of said wearer.

20. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said EM transducer placement portion is set to be placed above the skin surface of a posterior thoracic skin surface area such that at least 30% of an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of an EM transducer positioned in the EM transducer placement portion will be located between about 2 cm and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the spine of said wearer, and between about 8 cm and about 30 cm below the upper end of the vertebra prominens of said wearer.

21. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said thoracic garment having a segment which encircles said EM transducer, said segment is made of an EM manipulating material having a permeability loss tangent of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.01 for at least some of the frequencies within the range of between 100 Mega Hertz (MHz) and 5 GIGA Hertz (GHz).

22. The thoracic garment of claim 21, wherein said permeability loss tangent is of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.3.

23. The thoracic garment of claim 21, wherein said permeability loss tangent is of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.6.

24. The thoracic garment of claim 21, wherein said segment has at least one of a surface resistivity between 20 and 10,000 Ohm per square (Ω

/sq) and a volumetric resistivity of more than 10-3 Ohm meter (Ω

m).

25. The thoracic garment of claim 1, wherein said thoracic garment having a segment which encircles said EM transducer, said segment is made of an EM manipulating material having a permittivity loss tangent of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.01 for at least some of the frequencies within the range of between 100 Mega Hertz (MHz) and 5 GIGA Hertz (GHz).

26. The thoracic garment of claim 25, wherein said permittivity loss tangent is of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.3.

27. The thoracic garment of claim 25, wherein said permittivity loss tangent is of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.6.

28. The thoracic garment of claim 25, wherein said segment has at least one of a surface resistivity between 20 and 10,000 Ohm per square (Ω

/sq) and a volumetric resistivity of more than 10-3 Ohm meter (Ω

m).

30. The thoracic garment of claim 20, wherein when worn said wearer can recline and sit up freely while an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of said EM transducer is not displaced by more than 2 centimeters (cm).

29. A thoracic garment for positioning at least one EM transducer on a body of a wearer comprising:

a thoracic garment portion sized and shaped to position at least one EM transducer at a predetermined location above a skin surface of a wearer; and

a controller which increases pressure of said at least one EM transducer on said skin surface after the thoracic garment is worn and reduces said pressure when said wearer undresses said thoracic garment;

wherein when said pressure is reduced a physically impaired wearer can self-dress the thoracic garment.

31. A thoracic garment for positioning a plurality of EM transducers, comprising:

a thoracic garment having a first EM transducer placement portion set to secure a first EM transducer and a second EM transducer placement portion set to secure a second EM transducer;

wherein when the thoracic garment is worn by a wearer and a first EM transducer is placed in the first EM transducer placement portion and a second EM transducer is placed in the second EM transducer placement portion;

at least 30% of an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of the first EM transducer is located above skin surface of an anterior thoracic skin surface area located between about 2 centimeters (cm) and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the sternum of said wearer and between about 2 cm and about 9 cm below the upper end of the manubrium of said wearer; and

at least 30% of an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of the second EM transducer is located above skin surface of a posterior thoracic skin surface area located between about 2 cm and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the spine of said wearer, and between about 8 cm and about 30 cm below the upper end of the vertebra prominens of said wearer.

32. The thoracic garment of claim 31, further comprising an EM transducer secured in each of said first and second EM transducer placement portions.

33. The thoracic garment of claim 31, wherein at least one of said first and second EM transducers is associated with an EM transducer moving mechanism for moving a respective of said first and second EM transducers or a portion thereof within the EM transducer placement portion.

34. The thoracic garment of claim 31, wherein the garment is adjustable to fit a body shape and size of a wearer.

35. The thoracic garment of claim 31, wherein when the thoracic garment is worn by a wearer to whom it was fitted, and at least one EM transducer is placed in said at least one EM transducer placement portion, the EM transducer is placed within ±

2 cm from the predetermined location above the skin of the wearer for at least 50% of repeat wearing sessions without refitting.

36. The thoracic garment of claim 31, wherein at least one of said first and second EM transducers is one of a plurality of EM transducers located in said first or second EM transducer placement portions and the thoracic garment comprises a controller for selecting one or more of said plurality of EM transducers according to the position of the EM transducers respective a body of a wearer.

37. A thoracic garment for positioning an EM transducer, comprising:

a thoracic garment having an EM transducer placement portion set to secure a first EM transducer;

wherein when the thoracic garment is worn by a wearer and said first EM transducer is placed in said EM transducer placement portion, at least 30% of an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of said EM transducer being above skin surface of a posterior thoracic skin surface area located between about 2 cm and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the spine of said wearer, and between about 8 cm and about 30 cm below the upper end of the vertebra prominens of said wearer.

38. A method of monitoring a dielectric related property of a thoracic tissue, comprising:

dressing a wearer with a thoracic garment to secure a first EM transducer to a first location in proximity to an anterior thoracic skin surface area of said wearer and a second EM transducer to a posterior thoracic skin surface area of said wearer; and

analyzing an electromagnetic (EM) energy transmitted between said first and second EM transducers to identify a dielectric related property of at least one thoracic tissue;

wherein at least 30% of an effective EM capture and/or transmission area of said first EM transducer is located above the skin of said anterior thoracic body at an area between about 2 centimeters (cm) and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the sternum of said wearer, between about 2 cm and about 9 cm below the upper end of the manubrium of said wearer and said second EM transducer is placed located above the skin of said posterior thoracic skin surface area, between about 2 cm and about 9 cm to said side, between about 8 cm and about 30 cm below the upper end of the vertebra prominens of said wearer.

39. A thoracic garment for positioning an EM transducer, comprising:

a thoracic garment having an EM transducer placement portion; and

an EM transducer unit secured in said EM transducer placement portion and having;

an anchoring surface,

an EM transducer placed adjacent said anchoring surface, and

an extendable member between said anchoring surface and said EM transducer, said extendable member having an adjustable length which changes a distance between said anchoring surface and said EM transducer.

40. A thoracic garment for positioning an EM transducer, comprising:

a thoracic garment having anterior and posterior thoracic pieces;

at least one EM transducer placement portion formed in at least one of said anterior thoracic piece and said posterior thoracic piece for securing an EM transducer; and

a plurality of adjustable straps each connecting between a lateral side of said anterior thoracic piece and a lateral side of said posterior thoracic piece and having an adjustable length that sets the location of said at least one EM transducer placement portion in relation to at least one monitored intrabody region of a wearer wearing said thoracic garment.

41. A thoracic garment for positioning at least one EM transducer in proximity to a thoracic surface skin of a wearer, comprising:

a thoracic garment having a piece of cloth having a low elasticity coefficient for covering at least an anterior thoracic piece and an EM transducer placement portion between about 2 centimeters (cm) and about 9 cm to a side of a central axis along the sternum of said wearer and between about 15 cm and about 9 cm below the upper end of the manubrium of a wearer wearing said thoracic garment; and

an arrangement of a plurality of straps connected to said thoracic garment and secured to one another at a support point located above the skin surface of said EM transducer placement portion;

wherein when said wearer wears said thoracic garment, at least one of said plurality of straps is placed across the thorax of said wearer, below armpits of said of wearer, and another of said plurality of straps is placed across the shoulder of said wearer.

42. A thoracic garment comprising:

a thoracic garment;

at least one EM transducer placement portion for positioning an EM transducer on a body of a wearer;

at least one size adjusting mechanism for adjusting the size of the thoracic garment to the body of a wearer such that when worn an EM transducer positioned in the EM transducer placement portion will be placed at a predetermined location above the skin of the wearer; and

a tightening mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the EM transducer on the body of the wearer;

wherein when a thoracic garment is worn by a wearer to whom it was fitted, and at least one EM transducer is placed in said at least one EM transducer placement portion and the tightening mechanism tightens the thoracic garment, the EM transducer is placed within ±

2 cm from the predetermined location above the skin of the wearer for at least 50% of repeat wearing sessions without refitting.

43. A thoracic garment for bringing an EM transducer to contact with a thoracic skin surface area of a wearer, said thoracic garment comprising:

a thoracic garment portion sized and shaped to position at least one EM transducer at a predetermined location above a skin surface of a wearer;

wherein said a thoracic garment portion comprises a segment which encircles said EM transducer, said segment is made of an EM manipulating material having at least one of a permeability loss tangent and a permittivity loss tangent of (tan δ

=μ

″

/μ

′

)>

0.01 for at least some of the frequencies within the range of between 100 MHz and 5 GHz.