METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A SENSOR AND A MANAGING DEVICE

• US 20160080107A1
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novela Neurotechnologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Brain Sentinel, Inc.
• Inventors: Girouard, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,349,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods are described herein for adjusting characteristics of signals used to verify or track the reliability of communication between a remote sensor and a managing device. For example, an exchange rate of signals sent between the remote sensor and managing device may be adjusted to minimize power consumption when the devices are determined to be reliably communicating. In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods herein may further be configured to inform an individual of when a remote sensor approaches a physical boundary, moves out of a communication range, is turned off, becomes damaged, or otherwise has or may become incapable of proper or reliable communication.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a patient for seizure activity comprising:

monitoring a patient for seizure activity using one or more electromyography electrodes included in a mobile sensor unit configured to collect electromyography electrode data;

determining if said electromyography electrode data indicates the presence of pre-seizure motor manifestations associated with an elevated risk of having a seizure;

sending exchange signals between said mobile sensor unit and a reference device in order to determine a strength of communication between said mobile sensor unit and said reference device based on either or both of a received signal strength of at least one signal among said exchange signals and a received signal quality of at least one signal among said exchange signals;

sending a warning signal to a caregiver if said pre-seizure motor manifestations associated with an elevated risk of having a seizure are detected; and

sending a portion of said electromyography electrode data to said reference device if both said pre-seizure motor manifestations associated with increased risk of having a seizure are detected and said strength of communication is less than a threshold level;

wherein said reference device is configured to receive said portion of electromyography electrode data and queue said portion of electromyography electrode data for transmission if requested by said caregiver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said reference device is connected via a wired connection to a network suitable to transmit said portion of electromyography electrode data to said caregiver.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting a rate of sending of said exchange signals if said strength of communication between said mobile sensor unit and said reference device changes;

wherein the adjusting of said rate of sending of said exchange signals includes decreasing a time period between individual signals included among said exchange signals if the strength of communication increases and increasing a time period between individual signals included among said exchange signals if the strength of communication decreases.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said rate of sending of said exchange signals is scaled as a linear function of said received signal strength and said received signal quality.

5. A method of adjusting power consumption used to verify or track a wireless communication between a mobile sensor and a reference device comprising:

exchanging signals between said mobile sensor and said reference device during a first time period in order to determine a first strength of communication between said mobile sensor and said reference device;

setting a rate of signal exchange based on said first strength of communication;

exchanging further signals between said mobile sensor and said reference device during a second time period in order to determine a second strength of communication between said mobile sensor and said reference device;

comparing said first strength of communication and said second strength of communication in order to determine a change in strength of communication; and

adjusting said rate of signal exchange based on said change in strength of communication.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the determining of said first strength of communication and said second strength of communication includes calculating at least one of a received signal strength and a received signal quality.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the exchanging of signals between said mobile sensor and said reference device and the further exchanging of signals between said mobile sensor and said reference device comprises:

transmitting initiation pulses from said mobile sensor to said reference device; and

transmitting response signals from said reference device to said mobile sensor in response to a detection of said initiation pulses by said reference device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said first strength of communication and said second strength of communication are calculated based on at least one of a received signal strength and a received signal quality of said initiation pulses.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending a message from the reference device to the mobile sensor communicating to the mobile sensor how to adjust said rate of signal exchange.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said mobile sensor is included in an electromyography detection device mountable to a patient and configured to collect electromyography electrode data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said reference device is a portable base station.