Heart pulse monitor
First Claim
1. A pulse rate monitor comprising:
- sensor means adapted to be disposed adjacent to a pulse location of a user, said sensor means operative to produce a first signal in response to the occurrence of a heart pulse at said pulse location and a second signal in response to artifact signals at said pulse location; and
circuit means operative to produce an output signal which is representative of the difference between said first and second signals and which varies as a function of the heart pulse rate;
wherein said circuit means includes;
amplifier means connected for amplifying the signals from the sensor means and supplying the amplified signals as an output signal;
filter means connected to receive the output signal of the amplifier means and provide a filtered signal as a filter output signal;
an analog-to-digital converter connected to receive the filter output signal and convert said filter output signal to a digital signal;
microprocessor means connected to receive said digital signal;
said microprocessor means evaluates said digital signal to detect either a frequency node peak comprised of a multiplicity of heart pulse signals captured over time within a predetermined signal spectrum and generates a pulse rate output signal indicative of the heart pulse rate of the user in response thereto or a divergent value;
said microprocessor means updates said pulse rate output signal only when a frequency node peak in said spectrum is detected;
said microprocessor means does not update said pulse rate output signal when a divergent value is detected; and
display means connected to said microprocessor means for displaying said pulse rate output signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention herein described is intended to provide the user with a reliable heart rate monitor that is a completely self contained unit and is capable of providing accurate readings while the wearer is moving about. The use of piezoelectric sensing elements eliminates the power drain caused by LEDs and similar devices. The sensing element mounting means disclosed herein is devised to greatly reduce the noise introduced into the pulse signal by body motion. The use of optical sensors in a staring mode and optical sensors in a pulsed mode is also presented. The effects of noise are further reduced by employing digital signal processing algorithms to find the heart pulse intermixed with noise signals and present the heart pulse rate in beats per minute on a display. The resulting device permits the visual monitoring of the heart pulse rate in a human body in a consistent, error-free manner.
186 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A pulse rate monitor comprising:
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sensor means adapted to be disposed adjacent to a pulse location of a user, said sensor means operative to produce a first signal in response to the occurrence of a heart pulse at said pulse location and a second signal in response to artifact signals at said pulse location; and circuit means operative to produce an output signal which is representative of the difference between said first and second signals and which varies as a function of the heart pulse rate; wherein said circuit means includes; amplifier means connected for amplifying the signals from the sensor means and supplying the amplified signals as an output signal; filter means connected to receive the output signal of the amplifier means and provide a filtered signal as a filter output signal; an analog-to-digital converter connected to receive the filter output signal and convert said filter output signal to a digital signal; microprocessor means connected to receive said digital signal; said microprocessor means evaluates said digital signal to detect either a frequency node peak comprised of a multiplicity of heart pulse signals captured over time within a predetermined signal spectrum and generates a pulse rate output signal indicative of the heart pulse rate of the user in response thereto or a divergent value; said microprocessor means updates said pulse rate output signal only when a frequency node peak in said spectrum is detected; said microprocessor means does not update said pulse rate output signal when a divergent value is detected; and display means connected to said microprocessor means for displaying said pulse rate output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification