Wrist-type pulse monitor

• US 4,406,290 A
• Filed: 02/17/1981
• Issued: 09/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John H. Walbeoffe-Wilson, Julian D. Lynn-Evans, Patrick D. Wright
• Original Assignee: John H. Walbeoffe-Wilson, Julian D. Lynn-Evans, Patrick D. Wright
• Inventors: Lynn-Evans, Julian D., Wright, Patrick D., Walbeoffe-Wilson, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US06/234,740
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 128/690
• US Class Current: 600/502
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient

Abstract

A wrist-type pulse monitor for providing a digital readout of the rate of a heartbeat comprising a sensor adapted to detect a heartbeat in a body region where a heartbeat pulse normally occurs, a transducer coupled to the sensor for transforming each detected pulse into an electrical signal, an oscillator for producing electrical pulses at a predetermined frequency, means coupled to the transducer and the oscillator for counting the number of oscillator pulses occurring between detected heartbeats, arithmetic means coupled to the counting means for converting the heartbeat counted oscillator pulses to a heartbeat rate and means for visually displaying the heartbeat rate in digital form.

Claims

1. A wrist-type pulse monitor for providing a digital read out of the rate of a heartbeat comprising:

a. a sensor adapted to detect a heartbeat, in a region where a heartbeat pulse normally occurs,

b. a transducer coupled to said sensor for transforming each said detected heartbeat into an electrical signal,

c. means for producing electrical pulses at a predetermined frequency,

d. means coupled to said transducer and said pulse producing means for counting the number of said produced pulses occurring between two consecutively detected heartbeats, said pulse counting means comprising;

i. first and second counters coupled to said pulse producing means and said transducer for alternately counting said pulses between heartbeats,

e. arithmetic means for converting said counted pulses to a heartbeat rate,

f. means for alternately coupling the outputs of said counters to said arithmetic means whereby the contents of one counter is converted to heartbeat rate while the other is storing said pulses between detected heartbeats, and

g. means coupled to said arithmetic means for visually displaying said rate in digital form whereby a continuous heartbeat rate is displayed.

2. A pulse monitor as in claim 1 wherein said pulse producing means includes:

a. an oscillator having a frequency of 3600 Hz, and

b. clock circuit means for reducing said oscillator frequency to 60 Hz for maintaining time-of-day in hours, minutes and seconds.

3. A pulse monitor as in claim 2 wherein said arithmetic means comprises:

a. means for converting said counted 60 Hz pulses to heartbeat rate in accordance with the formula ##EQU2## where H=heartbeat rate and B=number of 60 hertz pulses counted between heartbeats.

4. A pulse monitor as in claim 3 further including:

a. means for establishing an upper and lower predetermined heartbeat rate limit,

b. means coupled to said limit establishing means for providing a warning signal when said actual heartbeat rate is below said lower predetermined rate limit and higher than said upper predetermined rate limit, and

c. alarm means coupled to said signal producing means for generating an alarm indication when said warning signal is produced.

5. A pulse monitor as in claim 4 wherein said means for establishing upper and lower predetermined heartbeat rate limits comprises:

a. first and second pulse storage registers respectively,

b. pulse divider means for further reducing the frequency of said 60 Hz pulses to a lower predetermined frequency, and

c. means coupled to said pulse divider means, said first and second pulse storage registers and said arithmetic means for simultaneously storing a predetermined number of said reduced frequency pulses in a selected one of said registers representing said upper and lower heartbeat rate limits and calculating and displaying the instantaneous heartbeat rate represented by said stored pulses.

6. A pulse monitor as in claim 5 wherein said warning signal producing means comprises:

a. first and second comparators each having one input coupled to said first and second pulse storage registers respectively and the other input coupled to said counting means whereby if the output of said counting means representing the actual number of 60 Hz pulses occurring between heartbeats is greater than the number of pulses stored in said first register or less than the number of pulses stored in said second register, a warning signal is produced by the corresponding comparator.

7. A pulse monitor as in claim 6 wherein said means for storing a predetermined number of pulses in said first and second pulse storage registers comprises:

a. switch means coupled to said pulse divider means and said first and second pulse storage registers for selectively coupling said reduced pulses to a predetermined one of said storage registers, and

b. means for coupling said selected reduced number of output pulses to said arithmetic means whereby said display indicates the heart rate represented by the count being stored in said selected first or second pulse storage register.

8. A pulse monitor as in claim 7 further including:

a. means for disconnecting the output of said clock circuit to said counting means whenever said switching means for selectively storing pulses in said first and second storage registers is actuated.

9. A pulse monitor as in claim 3 further comprising switch means for selectively coupling the output of said clock circuit and said arithmetic means to said display unit whereby either time of day or heartbeat rate may be selectively displayed.

10. A pulse monitor comprising:

a. a body portion adapted to be attached to and worn about the wrist with a strap,

b. a sensor mounted in said body portion for detecting a heartbeat,

c. a transducer coupled to said sensor for producing an electrical signal for each detected heartbeat,

d. a source of electrical pulses of predetermined frequency,

e. first and second storage means alternately coupled to said pulse source and said transducer for storing only said pulses occurring between electrical signals from said transducer representing successive heartbeats,

f. arithmetic means alternately coupled to said first and second storage means for converting said stored pulses occurring only between each two successive heartbeats to a heatbeat rate, and

g. display means coupled to said arithmetic means for visually displaying said rate.

11. A heart pulse monitor for the human body comprising:

a. a device for engagement with a part of said human body,

b. a sensor in said device for detecting a heartbeat in a region of said part of said human body engaged by said device where a heartbeat is expected to normally occur,

c. a transducer coupled to said sensor for converting each detected heartbeat to an electrical signal,

d. a source of electrical pulses of predetermined frequency,

e. means coupled to said transducer and said pulse source for receiving all of said pulses occurring between successive heartbeats and converting said pulses occurring only between each two successive heartbeats to a heartbeat rate, and

f. display means coupled to said converting means for displaying said heartbeat rate.

12. A heartbeat pulse monitor for the human body comprising:

a. a pulse generator,

b. a heartbeat detector,

c. means coupled to said pulse generator and said detector for receiving all of said pulses occurring between successive heartbeats and converting only said pulses occurring between each two successive heartbeats to a heartbeat rate, and

d. means coupled to said converting means for visually displaying said heartbeat rate.

13. A combination clock and heartbeat pulse monitor for the human body comprising:

a. a pulse generator,

b. a heartbeat detector,

c. means coupled to said pulse generator and said detector for receiving all of said pulses occurring between successive heartbeats and converting only said pulses occurring between each two successive heartbeats to a heartbeat rate as an output,

d. a clock circuit coupled to said pulse generator for producing time-of-day signals as an output,

e. a display, and

f. means coupled to said converting means, said clock circuit and said display for selectively connecting either the heartbeat rate output of said converting means or said time-of-day output signals to said display for visual observation.

14. A heartbeat pulse monitor comprising:

a. a pulse generator,

b. a heartbeat detector,

c. means coupled to said pulse generator and said detector for receiving all of said pulses occurring between successive heartbeats and converting only said pulses occurring between each two successive heartbeats to an actual heartbeat rate,

d. means coupled to said converting means for visually displaying said heartbeat rate,

e. means coupled to said pulse generator for storing pulses representing upper and lower desired heartbeat rate limits,

f. comparator means coupled to said converting means and said pulse storage means for comparing said converted pulses representing actual heartbeat rate to said stored pulses representing upper and lower desired heartbeat rate limits and producing a signal if either limit is reached, and

g. means coupled to said comparator for giving an alarm if said signal is produced.