PENDANT PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNAL MONITOR AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20190059757A1
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Published: 02/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2017
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Medicomp Incorporated (Medicomp, Inc. /Balda/)
• Original Assignee: Medicomp Incorporated (Medicomp, Inc. /Balda/)
• Inventors: Balda, Anthony, Koos, George
• Application Number:
  US15/692,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20190059757A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0209 Special features of electrodes classified in A61B5/24, A61B5/25, A61B5/283, A61B5/291, A61B5/296, A61B5/053
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/303 Patient cord assembly, e.g. cable harness
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 : Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 : Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 : Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 : Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A physiological signal monitoring system comprising a pendant and a patch. The pendant includes a data store, a processor, and a cellular modem. The patch includes a cradle and electrodes mechanically and electrically connected with a flexible printed circuit board (PCB). When removably coupled with the cradle of the patch, the pendant receives from the electrodes electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s heart and either stores the signals to the data store or transmits the signals. A single channel patch configuration includes two electrodes positioned at least 8.0 centimeters (CM) apart. A two channel patch configuration employs three electrodes similarly spaced. Removable auxiliary components may connect to the pendant'"'"'s device interfaces, each configured to receive physiological input such as electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), body temperature, heart rate, pedometer, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, respiratory rate, posture/body orientation, and sleep monitoring.

Claims

1. A physiological signal monitoring system [100] comprising:

a pendant [105] comprising;

a data store [340], and

a processor [350]; and

a patch [405] comprising;

a cradle [170], and

a plurality of electrodes configured in electrical communication with a flexible printed circuit board (PCB);

wherein the pendant [105] is configured to removably couple with the cradle [170] of the patch [405]; and

wherein the processor [350] is configured to receive, from at least one of the plurality of electrodes, electrical signals from a heart of a patient, and to store the electrical signals as electrocardiogram (ECG) data to the data store [340].

2. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the pendant further comprises a cellular modem[901].

3. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the pendant further comprises a recording activation button [160].

4. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes of the patch [405] further comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, defined as an RA electrode [425] and an LL electrode [435], respectively, which are configured to detect the electrical signals;

wherein the RA electrode [425] and the LL electrode [435] are positioned at least 8.0 centimeters (cm) apart.

5. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes of the patch [405] further comprises a third electrode, defined as an LA electrode [445], which is configured to detect the electrical signals;

wherein the LA electrode and the LL [435] electrode are positioned at least 8.0 cm apart.

6. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the pendant further comprises a water-resistant housing [107] and a plurality of integrated electrodes [155] configured to detect the electrical signals.

7. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the pendant [105] comprises at least one device interface [130] each configured to receive signal communication from at least one removable auxiliary component.

8. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 7 wherein the at least one removable auxiliary component is selected from the group consisting of a cable harness 140, a retractable monitor device, and a finger electrode adapter 150.

9. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 7 wherein the processor [350] of the pendant [105] is further configured to receive from the at least one removable auxiliary component a physiological input of a type selected from the group consisting of electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), body temperature, heart rate, pedometer, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, respiratory rate, posture/body orientation, and sleep monitoring.

10. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 9 wherein the pendant [105] comprises a recording activation button [160] configured to initiate receipt of at least one of the electrical signals and the physiological input by the processor [350].

11. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 1 wherein the pendant [105] weighs up to 36 grams.

12. A physiological signal monitoring system [100] comprising:

a pendant [105] comprising;

a data store [340],

a processor [350], and

a cellular modem [901]; and

a patch [405] comprising;

a cradle [170], and

a plurality of electrodes configured in electrical communication with a flexible printed circuit board (PCB);

wherein the pendant [105] is configured to removably couple with the cradle [170] of the patch [405]; and

wherein the processor [350] is configured to receive from at least one of the plurality of electrodes electrical signals from a heart of a patient, and to operate the cellular modem [901] to transmit the electrical signals as electrocardiogram (ECG) data to a cellular network.

13. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 12 wherein the cellular modem [901] further comprises an integrated antenna [120] configured to transmit the electrical signals wirelessly.

14. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of electrodes of the patch [405] further comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, defined as an RA electrode [425] and an LL electrode [435], respectively, which are configured to detect the electrical signals;

wherein the RA electrode [425] and the LL electrode [435] are positioned at least 8.0 centimeters (cm) apart.

15. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 14 wherein the plurality of electrodes of the patch [405] further comprises a third electrode, defined as an LA electrode [445], which is configured to detect the electrical signals;

wherein the LA electrode [445] and the LL electrode [435] are positioned at least 8.0 cm apart.

16. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 12 wherein the pendant [105] comprises at least one device interface [130] each configured to receive signal communication from at least one removable auxiliary component.

17. The physiological signal monitoring system [100] according to claim 16 wherein the processor [350] of the pendant [105] is further configured to receive from the at least one removable auxiliary component a physiological input of a type selected from the group consisting of electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), body temperature, heart rate, pedometer, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, respiratory rate, posture/body orientation, and sleep monitoring;

and wherein the processor is configured to operate the transmitter [360] to transmit the physiological input to at least one of the cellular network access point and the base station.

18. A method of monitoring physiological events generated as electrical signals, the method comprising:

providing a patch [405] that includes a cradle [170] and a plurality of electrodes, and a pendant [105] that includes a data store [340] and a processor [350];

determining, using the processor [350], that the pendant [105] is removably coupled to the cradle [170] of the patch [405];

operating the processor [350] of the pendant [105] to receive the electrical signals from the plurality of electrodes of the patch [405];

electrically connecting at least one removable auxiliary component to the pendant [105];

receiving from the at least one removable auxiliary component a physiological input of a type selected from the group consisting of electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), body temperature, heart rate, pedometer, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, respiratory rate, posture/body orientation, and sleep monitoring; and

operating a cellular modem [901] of the pendant [105] to transmit the physiological input to at least one of a cellular network access point and a base station.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising storing electrocardiogram (ECG) data in a data store [340] that represents the electrical signals received from the patch [405].