A PHONE FOR USE IN HEALTH MONITORING

• US 20170055911A1
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanandco Limited
• Original Assignee: Sanandco Limited
• Inventors: Wijayaratna, Saneth, Pearson, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,165,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/066 in a matrix array
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• 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 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A phone comprising: a phone body, at least one sensor on the phone body for measuring a vital sign of a user when the phone is held in use; means for converting the vital sign measurement into a voice-frequency band signal; and means for transmitting the voice-frequency band signal for use in monitoring the health of the user.

Claims

1. A phone comprising:

a phone body;

at least one sensor on the phone body for measuring a vital sign of a user when the phone is held in use;

means for converting the vital sign measurement into a voice-frequency band signal; and

means for transmitting the voice-frequency band signal for use in monitoring the health of the user.

2. The phone of claim 1, wherein one or both of the shape and arrangement of the phone are configured to encourage a left-handed hold over a right-handed hold by the user.

3. The phone of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an SPO2 sensor positioned in a concave recess on the phone body, and wherein one or both of the concave recess and SPO2 sensor are arranged on the phone body to encourage the left-handed hold over the right-handed hold.

4. The phone of claim 3, wherein the concave recess is formed at least partially on a left side of the phone body.

5. The phone of claim 3, wherein the concave recess is formed on the rear side of the phone body, and wherein one or both of the concave recess and the SPO2 sensor are rotationally offset from a longitudinal axis of the phone body.

6. The phone of claim 3, wherein the concave recess is formed on a rear side of the phone body and is tilted towards a left side of the phone body.

7. The phone of claim 3, wherein the SPO2 sensor comprises an emitter configured to illuminate a thumb or finger of the user with light when the thumb or finger is positioned within the concave recess, and a detector configured to detect light from the emitter which has been reflected by the user'"'"'s thumb or finger, and wherein the phone is configured to provide an indication when an amount of light detected by the detector of the SPO2 sensor is outside a predefined range.

10. The phone of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first ECG electrode positioned on a handle of the phone body such that the first ECG electrode contacts the user'"'"'s hand during use, and a second ECG electrode positioned on an earpiece of the phone body such that the second ECG electrode contacts the user'"'"'s ear during use.

11. The phone of claim 10, wherein the phone is configured to provide an indication when there is insufficient contact between the first ECG electrode and the user'"'"'s hand when the phone is held in use.

13. The phone of claim 10, wherein one or both of the first and second ECG electrodes have a generally convex shape to facilitate contact with the hand or ear of the user, respectively.

14. The phone of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor positioned on the earpiece such that it faces an ear cavity of the user during use, and wherein the temperature sensor is encircled by the second ECG electrode.

16. The phone of claim 14, wherein the phone is configured to provide an indication when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is outside a predefined range.

19. The phone of claim 1, wherein the phone body comprises one or more markers configured to guide positioning of the user'"'"'s hand during use of the phone.

21. The phone of claim 10, wherein the phone comprises an earth electrode positioned on the handle of the phone body such that the earth electrode contacts the user'"'"'s hand during use, the earth electrode configured to ground the user prior to measurement of the vital sign by the first and second ECG electrodes.

22. The phone of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an ECG sensor and an SPO2 sensor, and wherein the phone is configured to determine one or more of pulse transit time and blood pressure based on electrocardiography and photoplethysmography measurements obtained using the respective ECG and SPO2 sensors.

23. The phone of claim 1, wherein the voice-frequency band signal is a dual-tone multi-frequency signal.

24. The phone of claim 1, wherein the phone is configured to measure the vital sign, convert the vital sign measurement into a voice-frequency band signal and/or transmit the voice-frequency band signal in response to a request from an operator or automated system in real-time.

27. The phone of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting are configured to transmit the voice-frequency band signal to a health record.

29. A method of using the phone of claim 1, the method comprising:

measuring a vital sign of a user when the phone is held in use;

converting the vital sign measurement into a voice-frequency band signal; and

transmitting the voice-frequency band signal for use in monitoring the health of the user.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer code configured to perform the method of claim 29.

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