WEARABLE RESPIRATORY INDUCTANCE PLETHYSMOGRAPHY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR RESPIRATORY ACTIVITY ANALYSIS

• US 20160150982A1
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carre Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Carre Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Roy, Jean-Fran?ois, Fournier, Pierre-Alexandre, Robillard, Charles, CORRIVEAU, Robert, DUBEAU, Simon, GAGNE-TURCOTTE, Antoine, KHOUYA, David
• Application Number:
  US14/955,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160150982A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0823 Detecting or evaluating cough events
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0826 Detecting or evaluating apnoea events A61B5/4818 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• 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 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence

Abstract

It is described a system and a method for respiratory activity analysis comprising the use of Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography (RIP). In particular, a wearable system for extracting physiological parameters of a person by measuring at least one plethysmographic signal is disclosed. The system comprises: a wearable garment fitting a body part of the person; at least one wire supported by or embedded into the garment, each wire forming a loop around the body part when the person wears the garment for measuring a plethysmographic signal; and an electronic device supported by or fixed on the garment and including a Colpitts oscillator connected to each wire loop, wherein the Colpitts oscillator has an optimal frequency band from 1 MHz to 15 MHz for extracting the plethysmographic signal measured by each wire, the electronic device converting analog information measured by the Colpitts oscillator into digital analyzable information.

Claims

1. A wearable system for extracting physiological parameters of a person by measuring at least one plethysmographic signal, the system comprising:

a wearable garment fitting a body portion of the person;

at least one wire supported by or embedded into the garment, each wire forming a loop around the body part when the person wears the garment for measuring a plethysmographic signal; and

an electronic device supported by or fixed on the garment and including a Colpitts oscillator connected to each wire loop;

wherein the Colpitts oscillator has an optimal frequency band from 1 MHz to 15 MHz for extracting the plethysmographic signal measured by each wire, the electronic device converting analog information measured by the Colpitts oscillator into digital analyzable information.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one connector embedded into the wearable garment for connecting the Colpitts oscillator to each wire loop.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable garment comprises at least one guiding portion embedded into the garment, each guiding portion being adapted for receiving and maintaining one of said at least one wire in a predetermined position around the body portion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the body portion is the torso of the person wearing the wearable garment, the system then comprising a first loop of said wires being placed around a thoracic section of the torso and a second loop of said wires being placed around an abdominal section of the person;

for measuring a breathing frequency and/or frequency change of the person.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each wire loop is constructed using a conductive material in a configuration that makes the wearable garment extensible.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power source for powering the Colpitts oscillator and the electronic device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the power source is embedded into the garment.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the power source is a battery or an energy harvesting system.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the Colpitts oscillator is adapted to be turned on and off a plurality of times per second according to a frequency sampling to extend a power life of the power source.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a digital processing device for converting analog information into digital information by applying at least one algorithm to analyze the information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is in communication with a smart phone or a computer using a wireless connection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for measuring body temperature, blood pressure and/or heart beat frequency.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameters extracted by the system are breathing metrics selected from the group consisting of respiratory rate, tidal volume, minute ventilation and fractional inspiratory time.

15. The system of claims 1, wherein the system also provide metrics to detect and characterize physical conditions selected from the group consisting of talking, laughing, crying, hiccups, coughing, asthma, apnea, sleep apnea, stress related apnea, relaxation exercise, breathing cycle symmetry, and pulmonary diseases.

16. The system of claims 1, wherein the system also provides metrics to detect and characterize heart activities selected from the group consisting of heart rate, body movements and activities.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the body activities are walking and running.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the Colpitts oscillator is about 4.3 MHz.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the Colpitts oscillator is about 5.4 MHz.

20. A method for extracting physiological parameters of a person, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a wearable garment, the wearable garment fitting a body portion of the person;

b) measuring at least one plethysmographic signal using at least one wire supported by or embedded into the garment, each wire forming a loop around the body part;

c) extracting the plethysmographic signal measured by each wire using a low-powered electronic device supported by the garment, the electronic device including a Colpitts oscillator connected to each wire and having an optimal frequency band from 1 MHz to 15 MHz; and

d) converting analog information measured by the Colpitts oscillator into digital analyzable information.