FLEXIBLE TEMPERATURE SENSOR INCLUDING CONFORMABLE ELECTRONICS

• US 20150035680A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medidata Solutions Incorporated (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Original Assignee: MC10, Inc.
• Inventors: Dowling, Kevin J., Kacyvenski, Isaiah, Li, Xia, Gupta, Sanjay, Ceruolo, Melissa, Ives, Barry G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• 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 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• 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 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 : Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/74 : Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient indicating measured values G01D7/00; user input means input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• 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: G01K 1/14 : Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/143 : for measuring surface temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 : Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2213/00 : Temperature mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/06 : Electric actuation of the alarm, e.g. using a thermally-operated switch
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 : Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and devices are described for monitoring a property of an object or an individual, using a conformal sensor device that substantially conforms to contours of a portion of a surface of the object or the individual. The measurement includes data indicative of a property of a temperature of the portion of the surface and the degree of the conformal contact. An analysis engine is used to analyze the data and to generate at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature. Based on a comparison of the at least one parameter to a preset threshold, at least one alert can be issued and/or a command can be transmitted to regulate an environmental condition. The at least one alert can be indicative of a potential risk of harm to the object or individual.

Claims

1. A system to monitor a potential risk of harm to an object or an individual using a conformal sensor device mounted to a portion of a surface of the object or the individual, the system comprising:

at least one memory for storing processor executable instructions; and

a processing unit for accessing the at least one memory and executing the processor executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions comprising;

a communication module to receive data indicative of at least one measurement of at least one sensor component of the conformal sensor device, wherein;

the at least one measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of the portion of the surface;

the conformal sensor device substantially conforms to contours of the surface to provide a degree of conformal contact; and

the data indicative of the at least one measurement comprises data indicative of the degree of the conformal contact; and

an analysis engine comprising processor-executable instructions;

to analyze the data indicative of at least one measurement;

to generate at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature based on the degree of the conformal contact; and

to compare the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature to a preset threshold; and

a notification component comprising processor-executable instructions;

to issue a first alert at a time T₁ if the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature exceeds the preset threshold; and

to issue a second alert at a time T₂ greater than T₁ if the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature falls below the preset threshold and subsequently exceeds the preset threshold for at least a dwell time t,

wherein the second alert indicates a potential risk of harm to the object or individual.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dwell time t is about 3 minutes, about 5 minutes, about 8 minutes, or about 10 minutes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the property of the temperature is at least one of a magnitude, a spatial gradient, and a rate of change with time.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display module to display the data and/or the at least one parameter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the conformal sensor device further comprises at least one communication interface to transmit the data indicative of the at least one measurement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the conformal sensor device further comprises a flexible and/or stretchable substrate, and wherein the at least one sensor component is disposed on the flexible and/or stretchable substrate.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the surface is a portion of a tissue, a fabric, a plant, an artwork, paper, wood, a mechanical tool, or a piece of equipment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the conformal sensor device further comprises at least one stretchable interconnect to electrically couple the at least one sensor component to at least one other component of the conformal sensor device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one other component is at least one of:

a battery, a transmitter, a transceiver, an amplifier, a processing unit, a charger regulator for a battery, a radio-frequency component, a memory, and an analog sensing block.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled component to receive the data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID-enabled component is at least one of a near-field communication (NFC) RFID-enabled component and an ultra high frequency (UHF)-based RFID-enabled component.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module implements a communication protocol based on Bluetooth®

technology, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, IEEE 802.11 technology, a radio frequency (RF) communication, an infrared data association (IrDA) compatible protocol, or a shared wireless access protocol (SWAP).

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis engine analyzes the data by comparing the data to a calibration standard.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the comparing provides the indication of the temperature of the object or the individual.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the calibration standard comprises a correlation between values of the data and computed temperatures of objects or individuals.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions to store the data and/or the at least one parameter to the at least one memory.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of an environment proximate to the portion of the surface.

18. A system to monitor a potential risk of harm to objects or individuals using conformal sensor devices mounted to a surface of the objects or the individuals, the system comprising:

a communication interface to receive data indicative of a measurement of a sensor component of a conformal sensor device, wherein;

the measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of the portion of a surface;

the conformal sensor device substantially conforms to contours of the surface to provide a degree of conformal contact; and

the data indicative of the at least one measurement comprises data indicative of the degree of the conformal contact;

at least one memory for storing processor executable instructions; and

at least one processing unit, communicatively coupled to the at least one communication interface and the at least one memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processing unit;

using the communication module, receives first data indicative of a first measurement of a first sensor component of a first conformal sensor device disposed on a first surface;

using the communication module, receives second data indicative of a second measurement of a second sensor component of a second conformal sensor device disposed on a second surface;

computes, using the first data, a first parameter indicative of the first property of the first temperature based on the first degree of the conformal contact;

computes, using the second data, a second parameter indicative of the second property of the second temperature based on the second degree of the conformal contact;

compares the first parameter to the second parameter;

issues a first notification if the second parameter exceeds the first parameter; and

issues a second notification if at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter exceeds a preset threshold for at least a dwell time t,

wherein the first alert and/or the second alert indicates a potential risk of harm to the object or individual.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first surface and the second surface are differing portions of a single object or body part of an individual.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first surface and the second surface are portions different objects or individuals.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the dwell time t is about 3 minutes, about 5 minutes, about 8 minutes, or about 10 minutes.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processing unit further stores to the at least one memory at least one of:

the first data, the second data, the first parameter, and the second parameter.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising a display, wherein, using the display, the at least one processing unit displays at least one of:

the first data, the second data, the first parameter, and the second parameter.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor analyzes the first data and/or the second data by comparing the first data and/or the second data to at least one calibration standard.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the comparing provides the indication of the temperature of the object or the individual.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the calibration standard comprises a correlation between values of data and computed temperatures of objects or individuals.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of an environment proximate to the portion of the surface.

28. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having code representing processor-executable instructions encoded thereon, the processor-executable instructions comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, perform a method for monitoring a property of an object or an individual using a conformal sensor device mounted to a portion of a surface of the object or the individual, the method comprising:

receiving, using a communication interface, data indicative of a measurement of a sensor component of a conformal sensor device, wherein;

the measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of the portion of the surface;

the conformal sensor device substantially conforms to contours of the surface to provide a degree of conformal contact; and

the data indicative of the at least one measurement comprises data indicative of the degree of the conformal contact;

analyzing, using the processing unit, the data indicative of the at least one measurement to generate at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature based on the degree of the conformal contact;

comparing, using the processing unit, the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature to a preset threshold; and

using a notification component;

issuing a first alert at a time T₁ if the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature exceeds the preset threshold; and

issuing a second alert at a time T₂ greater than T₁ if the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature falls below the preset threshold and subsequently exceeds the preset threshold for at least a dwell time t,

wherein the second alert indicates a potential risk of harm to the object or individual.

29. A system to regulate an environmental condition using a conformal sensor device mounted to a portion of a surface of at least one object or individual, the system comprising:

at least one memory for storing processor executable instructions; and

a processing unit for accessing the at least one memory and executing the processor executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions comprising;

a communication module to receive data indicative of at least one measurement of at least one sensor component of the conformal sensor device, wherein;

the at least one measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of the portion of the surface;

the conformal sensor device substantially conforms to contours of the surface to provide a degree of conformal contact; and

the data indicative of the at least one measurement comprises data indicative of the degree of the conformal contact; and

an analysis engine comprising processor-executable instructions;

to analyze the data indicative of at least one measurement;

to generate at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature based on the degree of the conformal contact; and

to compare the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature to a preset threshold; and

a notification component comprising processor-executable instructions;

to control the communication module to transmit a command to a controller of an environmental regulation system if the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature exceeds the preset threshold,

wherein the command comprises instructions to initiate the environmental regulation system and/or to modify an operating set point of the environmental regulation system.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the environmental regulation system comprises at least one of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a central air system, an air-conditioning unit, and a chiller.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the command comprises instructions to modify the operating set point as a function of time.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the controller comprises a thermostat.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising an identification system to provide identification information, wherein the at least one object or individual comprises a first object or individual and a second object or individual, and wherein first identification information associated with the first object or individual differs from second identification information associated with the second object or individual.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the identification system is a radio-frequency identification system.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the first object or individual is associated with a first preset threshold, wherein the second object or individual is associated with a second preset threshold, wherein the command to the controller comprises instructions modify the operating set point of the environmental regulation system to an averaged set point, and wherein the averaged set point is determined based on the value of first preset threshold and the value of the second preset threshold.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the preset threshold is specified by a user or an energy supplier.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the preset threshold is determined based on weather data.

38. A system to regulate an environmental condition using a conformal sensor device mounted to a portion of a surface of at least one object or an individual, the system comprising:

at least one memory for storing processor executable instructions; and

a processing unit for accessing the at least one memory and executing the processor executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions comprising;

a communication module to receive data indicative of at least one measurement of at least one sensor component of the conformal sensor device, wherein;

the at least one measurement comprises a measure of a property of a temperature of the portion of the surface;

the conformal sensor device substantially conforms to contours of the surface to provide a degree of conformal contact; and

the data indicative of the at least one measurement comprises data indicative of the degree of the conformal contact; and

an analysis engine comprising processor-executable instructions;

to analyze the data indicative of at least one measurement;

to generate at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature based on the degree of the conformal contact; and

to compare the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature to a preset threshold; and

a notification component comprising processor-executable instructions;

to control the communication module to transmit a command to at least one controller of an environmental regulation system;

if the at least one parameter indicative of the property of the temperature exceeds the preset threshold, and

if the at least one object or individual is located within a specified zone of the controller,

wherein the command comprises instructions to initiate the environmental regulation system and/or to modify an operating set point of the environmental regulation system.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) to provide location information associated with the at least one object or individual.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the specified zone is a specified distance, and wherein the processor-executable instructions comprises instructions to compare the location information to the specified distance to determine if the at least one object or individual is located within the specified zone.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein the specified zone is computed based on data representative of traffic speed.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein the environmental control system comprises at least one of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a central air system, an air-conditioning unit, and a chiller.

43. The system of claim 38, wherein the command comprises instructions to modify the operating set point as a function of time.

44. The system of claim 38, wherein the controller comprises a thermostat.

45. The system of claim 38, further comprising an identification system to provide identification information, wherein the at least one object or individual comprises a first object or individual and a second object or individual, and wherein first identification information associated with the first object or individual differs from second identification information associated with the second object or individual.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the identification system is a radio-frequency-enabled identification system.

47. The system of claim 45, further comprising processor-executable instructions:

to receive a signal from the at least one controller of the environmental regulation system; and

using the analysis engine, to compute location information associated with the at least one object or individual based on an analysis of the signal and the known location of the at least one controller.

48. The system of claim 47, further comprising processor-executable instructions to transmit the location information and the identification information to the at least one controller.