METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A UNIVERSAL SENSOR

• US 20180132748A1
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Noraxon U.S.A., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Noraxon U.S.A., Inc.
• Inventors: PERKINS, BRENT R., BYMAN, DAVID K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,058,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/029 adapted for auto-initiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/16 Details of sensor housings or probes; Details of structural supports for sensors A61B2560/0462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1124 Determining motor skills
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/22 Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow exercising apparatus A63B21/00 ; measuring of work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/224 Measuring muscular strength
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/227 of constricting muscles, i.e. sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/08 Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5776 : Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A universal sensor pod provides a native sensing function during a first mode of operation and a secondary sensing function during a second mode of operation. The universal sensor pod may transition from the native sensing function to the secondary sensing function upon detecting that a sensor capable of the secondary sensing function is connected to the universal sensor pod via a smart connector. The universal sensor pod may continue one or more native sensing functions along with the secondary sensing function upon detecting that a sensor capable of the secondary sensing function is connected to the universal sensor pod via a smart connector. A code embedded within the smart connector is transmitted to a processor contained within the universal sensor pod and in response, the processor executes a firmware application that is tailored to the secondary sensing function code in response to receiving the code.

Claims

1. A universal sensor configured to be worn on a human body segment, the universal sensor comprising:

a sensor pod including,

a processor;

a first memory coupled to the processor and configured with a plurality of executable applications; and

a second memory; and

a sensor assembly removably coupled to the sensor pod, the sensor assembly including,

a first sensor configured to detect a physical property directly associated with the human body segment upon which the universal sensor is worn and further configured to provide a first signal representative of the detected physical property; and

a third memory configured to provide a code indicative of the detected physical property to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute one of the executable applications in response to the code, the executed application causing the processor to manipulate the first signal into a first result for storage in the second memory in response to receiving a first synchronization signal; and

wherein the first result includes a first synchronization marker to designate a point in time in which the sensor pod received the first synchronization signal.

2. The universal sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor pod further includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) coupled to receive the first signal and configured to provide a first digital data stream representative of the first signal, wherein the first digital data stream is stored within the second memory for manipulation by the processor into the first result.

3. The universal sensor of claim 2, wherein the sensor pod further includes a second sensor coupled to the ADC, the second sensor configured to provide a second signal representative of a second sensor function, the ADC being further configured to convert the second signal into a second digital data stream for manipulation by the processor into a second result stored within the second memory in response to receiving a second synchronization signal, the second result including a second synchronization marker to designate a point in time in which the sensor pod received the second synchronization signal.

4. The universal sensor of claim 3, wherein the second sensor function includes electromyography.

5. The universal sensor of claim 4, wherein the second sensor includes,

first and second electrodes configured to detect muscle activity;

and

a reference electrode configured to reduce noise in the detected muscle activity, wherein the first, second and reference electrodes are arranged on an outer surface of the sensor pod.

6. The universal sensor of claim 3, wherein the sensor pod further includes a third sensor coupled to the ADC, the third sensor configured to provide a third signal representative of a third sensor function, the ADC being further configured to convert the third signal into a third digital data stream for manipulation by the processor into a third result stored within the second memory in response to receiving a third synchronization signal, the third result including a third synchronization marker to designate a point in time in which the sensor pod received the third synchronization signal.

7. The universal sensor of claim 6, wherein the sensor pod further includes a wireless interface coupled to the second memory and configured to wirelessly transmit one or more of the first, second and third results.

8-27. -27. (canceled).