TEAM PARTICIPANT AWARENESS INDICATOR AND INDICATIVE NOTIFICATION

• US 20170156667A1
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc. (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: LERNER, BARRY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US15/438,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156667A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/20 Workers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• 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 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• 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 5/7282 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 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• 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: A63B 2220/12 : Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 : Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/75 : Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 : measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00

Abstract

A wearable cranial device has a substrate conformable to an individual'"'"'s upper cranial hemisphere housing a force sensor for measuring forces associated with impacts to the exterior of the device in combination with a physiological sensor for measuring physiological data of the individual, and a transmitter for transmitting data from physiological sensor and force sensor to a remote receiver for evaluation of the individual'"'"'s status.

Claims

1. A method for biometrically monitoring a subject for potential injury, the method comprising:

receiving physiological data from at least one physiological sensor, impact data from at least one impact sensor, and environmental data from at least one environmental sensor, the at least one physiological sensor, the at least one impact sensor, and at least one environmental sensor associated with a wearable cranial device wearable by the subject;

determining that at least one of the physiological data, the impact data, and the environmental data exceeds a corresponding threshold;

generating an alert based upon at least one of the physiological data, the impact data, and the environmental data exceeding the corresponding threshold, the alert usable to determine a potential injury to the subject;

determining, using the at least one impact sensor, that the wearable cranial device experienced a current impact; and

considering a magnitude of the current impact and at least one additional factor to determine if an elevated alert should be generated, the at least one additional factor including at least one of the physiological data, the impact data and the environmental data; and

generating an elevated alert if a determination is made that an elevated alert should be generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is whether the wearable cranial device experienced at least one previous impact.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the elevated alert is a mid-level alert, the method further comprising:

if the wearable cranial device experienced at least one previous impact;

generating the mid-level alert; and

revising at least one of the physiological data threshold and the environmental data threshold to a more stringent threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is whether the physiological data changed between an occurrence of the at least one previous impact and an occurrence of a current impact.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the elevated alert is a high-level alert, the method further comprising generating the high-level alert if the wearable cranial device experienced at least one previous impact and if the physiological data changed between an occurrence of the at least one previous impact and an occurrence of the current impact.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

correlating the physiological data and the environmental data; and

issuing the alert based on the correlation of the physiological data and the environmental data even if the physiological data threshold and the environmental data threshold has not been reached.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving identification data of the wearable cranial device, wherein the alert provides an identification of the wearable device based on the received identification data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving wearable device location data, wherein the alert provides a location of the wearable device based on the received wearable device location data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving impact magnitude and location data from the at least one impact sensor; and

providing a graphical representation of a location and a magnitude of the current impact on a head of the subject using the magnitude and location data received from the at least one impact sensor.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying telemetry from the wearable cranial device, the telemetry including any changes to at least one of the physiological data and the environmental data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is a number of previous impacts to the wearable cranial device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is a time frame between occurrences of previous impacts to the wearable cranial device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein physiological data from at least one physiological sensor, impact data from at least one impact sensor, and environmental data from at least one environmental sensor are received from a plurality of wearable cranial devices, the method further comprising:

transmitting the alert to a secondary remote device if the alert corresponds to the wearable cranial device associated with the secondary remote device.

14. A remote device for biometrically monitoring a subject for potential injury, the subject wearing a wearable cranial device, the remove device comprising:

a receiver configured to receiving physiological data from at least one physiological sensor, impact data from at least one impact sensor, and environmental data from at least one environmental sensor, the at least one physiological sensor, the at least one impact sensor, and at least one environmental sensor associated with a wearable cranial device wearable by the subject; and

a processor configured to;

determine that at least one of the physiological data, the impact data, and the environmental data exceeds a corresponding threshold;

generate an alert based upon at least one of the physiological data, the impact data, and the environmental data exceeding the corresponding threshold, the alert usable to determine a potential injury to the subject;

determine, using the at least one impact sensor, the wearable cranial device experienced a current impact; and

consider a magnitude of the current impact and at least one additional factor to determine if an elevated alert should be generated, the at least one additional factor including at least one of the physiological data, the impact data and the environmental data; and

generate an elevated alert if a determination is made that an elevated alert should be generated.

15. The remote device of claim 14, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is whether the wearable cranial device experienced at least one previous impact.

16. The remove device of claim 15, wherein the elevated alert is a mid-level alert, the processor further configured to:

if the wearable cranial device experienced at least one previous impact;

generate the mid-level alert; and

revise at least one of the physiological data threshold and the environmental data threshold to a more stringent threshold.

17. The remote device of claim 14, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is whether the physiological data changed between an occurrence of the at least one previous impact and an occurrence of a current impact.

18. The remote device of claim 17, wherein the elevated alert is a high-level alert, the processor further configured to generate the high-level alert if the wearable cranial device experienced at least one previous impact and if the physiological data changed between an occurrence of the at least one previous impact and an occurrence of the current impact.

19. The remote device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

correlate the physiological data and the environmental data; and

issue the alert based on the correlation of the physiological data and the environmental data even if the physiological data threshold and the environmental data threshold has not been reached.

20. The remote device of claim 14, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive identification data of the wearable cranial device, wherein the alert provides an identification of the wearable device based on the received identification data.

21. The remote device of claim 14, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive wearable device location data, wherein the alert provides a location of the wearable device based on the received wearable device location data.

22. The remote device of claim 14, further including a display, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive impact magnitude and location data from the at least one impact sensor;

and

the processor is further configured to cause the display of a graphical representation of a location and a magnitude of the current impact on a head of the subject using the magnitude and location data received from the at least one impact sensor.

23. The remote device of claim 14, further including a display, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the display of telemetry from the wearable cranial device, the telemetry including any changes to at least one of the physiological data and the environmental data.

24. The remote device of claim 14, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is a number of previous impacts to the wearable cranial device.

25. The remote device of claim 14, wherein one of the at least one additional factor is a time frame between occurrences of previous impacts to the wearable cranial device.

26. The remote device of claim 14, wherein the physiological data from at least one physiological sensor, the impact data from at least one impact sensor, and the environmental data from at least one environmental sensor are received from a plurality of wearable cranial devices, the remote device further comprising a transmission system configured to transmit the alert to a secondary remote device if the alert corresponds to the wearable cranial device associated with the secondary remote device.