WIRELESS CARDIAC SENSOR

• US 20180256061A1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Published: 09/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EKO Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eko Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Landgraf, Connor, Goolkasian, Philip, Crouch, Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 10,945,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• 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 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

A wireless cardiac sensor is provided. The sensor may be utilized by a patient, on themselves, in an at home or other non-clinical environment. A sensor housing contains ECG electrodes and an audio transducer to simultaneously capture heart sound and ECG data with a single device. The ECG electrodes may be positioned on opposite sides of, and preferably adjacent to, an audio transducer sensor, for placement against a user'"'"'s chest. The wireless cardiac sensor may include a button on a surface opposite the ECG electrodes and audio sensor, facilitating one-handed operation by a patient. The sensor transmits acquired data to a personal electronic device, such as a smartphone, via a wireless communication link. The personal electronic device may in turn transmit data to a centralized server and/or health care provider devices, via a wide area network.

Claims

1. A wireless cardiac sensor comprising:

a sensor housing having a first side for positioning against a user'"'"'s chest;

a battery within the sensor housing for powering the sensor;

an ECG transducer within the sensor housing, the ECG transducer comprising plurality of electrodes exposed on the first side of the sensor housing;

an audio transducer within the sensor housing, the audio transducer comprising an audio transducer sensor exposed on the first side of the sensor housing; and

a wireless transceiver, the transceiver adapted for transmitting data recorded by the ECG transducer and the audio transducer to a personal electronic device proximate the cardiac sensor.

2. The cardiac sensor of claim 1, in which the ECG transducer comprises two electrodes positioned on opposite sides of the audio transducer sensor.

3. The cardiac sensor of claim 2, in which the ECG electrodes are adjacent to the audio transducer sensor.

4. The cardiac sensor of claim 1, in which the sensor housing is approximately rectangular cuboid in shape.

5. The cardiac sensor of claim 1, in which the sensor housing also has a second side opposite the first side, the sensor further comprising a button for actuation by a user, the button exposed on the second side of the sensor housing and positioned directly above one or more of the audio transducer sensor and ECG electrodes.

6. The cardiac sensor of claim 5, in which the button is centered over a sensor package comprised of the ECG electrodes and audio transducer sensor, whereby application of pressure on the button by a user holding the sensor against the user'"'"'s chest promotes contact of the sensor with the user'"'"'s chest.

7. The cardiac sensor of claim 1, further comprising a separate personal electronic device (“

PED”

), the PED comprising;

a PED wireless transceiver configured for communication with the sensor wireless transceiver to convey cardiac data therebetween;

a user interface comprising a graphical display screen configure to render displays conveying diagnostic information derived from cardiac data received by the PED wireless transceiver.

8. A method for monitoring the cardiac function of a human using a wireless cardiac sensor and a personal electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a cardiac monitoring application on the personal electronic device;

positioning against the human'"'"'s chest, an audio transducer sensor and a plurality of ECG electrodes arranged within a unitary wireless cardiac sensor housing on a first side thereof;

initiating cardiac monitoring by the human, whereby the wireless cardiac sensor captures data indicative of the human'"'"'s cardiac function via the ECG electrodes and audio transducer sensor;

transmitting data indicative of cardiac function from the wireless cardiac sensor to the personal electronic device; and

displaying cardiac diagnostic information on a display screen within the personal electronic device, the cardiac diagnostic information derived from the data transmitted from the wireless cardiac sensor.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the step of initiating a cardiac monitoring application on the personal electronic device comprises displaying, on the personal electronic device, instructions for positioning of a wireless cardiac sensor on the human'"'"'s chest.

10. The method of claim 8, in which the step of initiating cardiac monitoring by the human comprises the substep of pressing a button positioned on a side of the wireless cardiac sensor opposite the side on which the audio transducer sensor and ECG electrodes are arranged.

11. The method of claim 8, in which the step of positioning against the human'"'"'s chest an audio transducer sensor and a plurality of ECG electrodes, comprises the substep of holding the wireless cardiac sensor by the human against their own chest using one hand, with one finger positioned over the button.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the data indicative of cardiac function from the personal electronic device to a network-connected server;

and storing the data by the network-connected server for subsequent analysis by a health care professional.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the data indicative of cardiac function from the personal electronic device to a health care professional computing device via the Internet, for remote diagnostic analysis.