ELECTRONIC MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE

• US 3,766,908 A
• Filed: 01/07/1972
• Issued: 10/23/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John L. Haynes
• Original Assignee: John L. Haynes
• Inventors: Haynes, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Application Number:
  US05/216,128
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.5P,2R,2H,2.6F,2.6G,2.08,2.1R 324/121,115 73/362AR,344
• US Class Current: 374/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• 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 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00

Abstract

An electronic medical diagnostic device is provided capable of measuring a plurality of body functions such as respiration, pulse and temperature. The device includes a single meter scale which is divided into discrete, nonoverlapping portions with each portion defining a range for each of the body functions. Means are provided to limit the movement of the meter indicator to that portion of the meter scale associated with the body function being monitored and to prevent the meter indicator from registering in a portion of the scale allocated to a different body function.

Claims

1. In an electronic medical diagnostic device of the type having a plurality of transducers for measuring body functions and converting the body function measurements into electrical signals and transducer signal conditioning means for converting the output of the transducers into electrical signals capable of driving a meter, the improvement comprising:

a readout meter having a single scale separated into a plurality of nonoverlapping zones each defined for one of said body functions;

indicator means capable of traversing the entire scale of said meter in response to driving electrical signals from said signal conditioning means;

switch means for selectively coupling the output of said conditioning means to said meter to drive said meter indicator; and

circuit means connected to said signal conditioning means output, said circuit means including means to limit the output of said conditioning means so as to limit driving electrical signals whereby the movement of said indicator is constrained to one of said zones, said one zone being determined by the position of said switch means.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the movement of said indicator varies with the voltage of the output of said conditioning means and said circuit means includes means for clamping the upper limit of the output voltage of the conditioning means associated with said first zone to a level corresponding to the upper limit of said first zone.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the movement of said indicator varies with the voltage of the output of said conditioning means and said circuit means includes means for clamping the lower limit of the output voltage of the conditioning means associated with said last zone to a level corresponding to the lower limit of said last zone.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said meter scale is divided into at least three zones and said circuit means includes means for clamping the output voltage of the conditioning means associated with the middle zone at a lower level above the upper level of the adjacent zone on the lower side and an upper level below the lower level of the adjacent zone on the upper side whereby to define separation zones between said middle zone and said adjacent zones.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said meter scale extends between a negative voltage value and a positive voltage value;

at least one of said transducers comprises a thermometer; and

the zone associated with said thermometer terminates at one end at the zero point of the meter scale.