Wearable Electronic Patch with Antenna Enhancement

• US 20160149292A1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Healthcare Informatics Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ganton, Robert Bruce, Ballam, Robert Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,062,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/187 Strain relief means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/242 Packaging, i.e. for packaging the sensor or apparatus before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/247 Hygienic covers, i.e. for covering the sensor or apparatus during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1468 using chemical or electrochemical methods, e.g. by polarographic means A61B5/1486 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 : combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 : Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68335 : including release sheets or liners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 : Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 : at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0718 : the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 : the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07771 : the record carrier comprising means for minimising adverse effects on the data communication capability of the record carrier, e.g. minimising Eddy currents induced in a proximate metal or otherwise electromagnetically interfering object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 : Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 : with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/30 : Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor

Abstract

A wearable electronic patch with an enhanced radio antenna includes an antenna, radio circuitry, a base portion, a distal portion, and intermediate portion, and a spacer, configured to raise the antenna away from the base portion, and thus away from a wearer to improve radiation properties of the antenna. The spacer may be sized and shaped to expand from a compressed state, as it may be when the patch is packaged, to an expanded state that raises the antenna when it is applied to a wearer. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and disclosed.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic patch for biological monitoring of a wearer, comprising:

an antenna;

a base portion;

a distal portion spaced away from and opposed to the base portion, wherein the antenna is secured to the distal portion, wherein the base portion is configured to be closer to the wearer than the distal portion;

an intermediate portion joining the base portion and the distal portion; and

a spacer sized and shaped to expand from a compressed state for moving the antenna away from the base portion.

2. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, wherein when compressed the spacer maintains a space between the base portion and the antenna.

3. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, wherein the spacer is formed of a foam material configured to expand after the base portion is secured to the wearer.

4. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, wherein the spacer has a dielectric constant of approximately 1.0.

5. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, wherein the base portion, the distal portion and the intermediate portion form a continuous printed circuit board.

6. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, wherein a first end of the intermediate portion attached to the distal portion is folded over a second end of the intermediate portion attached to the base portion.

7. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer securing at least one of the base portion to the spacer and the spacer to the distal portion.

8. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a circuit element printed onto the distal portion.

9. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising radio circuitry coupled to the antenna, wherein the radio circuitry is disposed between the base portion and the distal portion.

10. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising a sensor attached to at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein the sensor is configured to measure one or more physical characteristics.

11. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising a body detection circuit configured to detect when the wearable electronic patch is worn by the wearer.

12. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising a battery at least partially disposed between the base portion and the distal portion.

13. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising a removable packaging covering at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein removing of the packaging releases the spacer to expand from the compressed state.

14. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising a permanent packaging encasing at least the base portion, the distal portion and the intermediate portion, wherein the permanent packaging is configured to expand in response to expansion of the spacer.

15. The wearable electronic patch of claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled to the base portion, wherein the spacer is positioned and configured to separate the sensor from the antenna.

16. A wearable electronic patch for biological monitoring of a wearer, comprising:

means for resiliently biasing a distal portion of the wearable electronic patch to expand away from a base portion of the wearable electronic patch, wherein the distal portion is spaced away from and opposed to the base portion, wherein an antenna is secured to the distal portion, and the base portion is configured to be closer to the wearer than the distal portion; and

means for using the antenna secured to the distal portion for one or more functions selected from a group consisting of transmitting and receiving radio signals.

17. The wearable electronic patch of claim 16, wherein when fully compressed the means for resiliently biasing maintains a space between the base portion and the antenna.

18. The wearable electronic patch of claim 16, wherein the means for resiliently biasing has a dielectric constant of approximately 1.0.

19. The wearable electronic patch of claim 16, further comprising means for securing at least one of the base portion to the means for resiliently biasing and the means for resiliently biasing to the distal portion.

20. The wearable electronic patch of claim 16, further comprising means for detecting when the wearable electronic patch is attached to the wearer based upon one or more detectable physical characteristics of the wearer.

21. The wearable electronic patch of claim 16, further comprising means for powering the wearable electronic patch at least partially disposed between the base portion and the distal portion.

22. The wearable electronic patch of claim 16, wherein the means for resiliently biasing the distal portion to expand away from the base portion comprises means for separating a sensor coupled to the base portion from other electronic components of the wearable electronic patch.

23. A method of making and using a wearable electronic patch for applying to a wearer, comprising:

resiliently biasing a distal portion of a printed circuit board of the wearable electronic patch with a compressible spacer to expand away from a base portion of the printed circuit board;

spacing the distal portion away from and opposed to the base portion, wherein the base portion is configured to be closer to the wearer than the distal portion; and

using an antenna, secured to the distal portion, for at least one of transmitting and receiving radio signals.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein resiliently biasing the distal portion of the printed circuit board of the electronic patch with the compressible spacer to expand away from the base portion of the printed circuit board comprises releasing the compressible spacer to allow the compressible spacer to expand from a first state to a second state.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising compressing the compressible spacer during assembly of the wearable electronic patch, wherein a distance between the distal portion and the base portion is reduced when the compressible spacer is compressed.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising limiting compression of the wearable electronic patch using the compressible spacer maintaining a space between the base portion and the antenna when the compressible spacer is fully compressed.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising activating a sensor attached to at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein the sensor is configured to measure one or more detectable physical characteristics of the wearer.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising activating a body detection circuit configured to detect when the wearable electronic patch is worn by the wearer.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising removing a packaging covering at least one of the base portion and the distal portion, wherein removing of the packaging releases the compressible spacer to expand from a compressed state.