Wireless health monitoring system

• US 6,160,478 A
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mobile Monitoring Systems LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: SARCOS LC (Sarcos Technology & Robotics Corp.)
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Stephen C, Petelenz, Tomasz J., Peterson, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/179,668
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/573.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/689, 128/903, 128/904, 600/300
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• 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 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/223 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A system for remotely monitoring a person'"'"'s physical activity includes at least one accelerometer capable of measuring both the magnitude and direction of an acceleration. The acceleration data is processed to determine motion/position status and to decide whether there is a likelihood that the person has fallen, and if so, the likely direction that the person has fallen. Based on this data, the likely severity of the fall is calculated. If the severity of the fall is outside an acceptable limit, an alert state is reached upon which a signal is communicated to a remote monitoring unit. Likewise, various physiological conditions may be measured to determine the existence of any anomalous vital signs that would trigger an alarm state. If so, the remote monitoring unit will sound or otherwise communicate an alarm to a person associated with the remote monitoring unit.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring physical activity of a person, comprising:

a multi-dimensional accelerometer disposed on at least one body part of the person for measuring a magnitude and relative direction of movement of the body and generating a signal indicative of the measured acceleration;

processing means associated with the multi-dimensional accelerometer for receiving the signal from the multi-dimensional accelerometer and converting the signal into data, wherein the processing means analyzes data from the multi-dimensional accelerometer until it receives a spike pulse to indicate a possibility that a fall has occurred and then the severity of the fall is determined based on the spike pulse magnitude;

first communication means associated with the processor means for sending the data to a remote location; and

second communication means at a remote location for receiving the data from the first communication means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing means includes a maximum allowable acceleration change value which is compared to the spike pulse, and an alert signal is sent when the spike pulse exceeds the maximum allowable acceleration change value.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing means includes determining whether a person is in a prone position following a spike pulse and sending an alert signal if they remain in a prone position for a selected length of time after a spike pulse.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing means includes determining whether a person is in a prone position following a spike pulse and sending no alert signal if they quickly return to a vertical position within a selected length of time after a spike pulse.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one physiological sensor disposed on the person for generating a signal indicative of at least one physiological condition and in communication with said processing means.

6. The system of claim 5, further including a wireless local area communications means for communicating between the at least one physiological sensor and said processing means.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one physiological sensor comprises at least one of a pulse sensor, a blood pressure sensor, an ECG sensor, a S_p O₂ sensor, and a blood perfusion sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said first communications means comprises a device capable of communicating by at least one of:

local RF, cellular networks, and telephone land lines.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said second communications means comprises a device capable of communicating with said first communications means by at least one of:

local RF, cellular networks, and telephone land lines.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing means includes means for comparing the data with predetermined acceptable ranges.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said processing means further includes data storage means for recording said sensor data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor means further comprises access means for enabling access to information recorded in the data storage means.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising alarm means for generating a humanly perceptible alarm when the data is outside a predetermined range.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said alarm means is associated with said second communications means.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said second communications means further includes display means for displaying information based on the data.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said second communications means further comprises a data storage mechanism having a plurality of acceptable ranges for physiological values stored therein, and processor means for comparing the data received from the first communications means with the acceptable ranges stored in the data storage mechanism.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data storage mechanism further comprises storage means for storing sensor data received from the first communications means.

18. A personal alert system for monitoring a person, comprising:

a monitoring unit configured for wearing by a person and having at least one acceleration sensor disposed thereon for generating sensor data indicative of the magnitude and direction of movement of at least one body part of the person;

a communications device associated with said at least one acceleration sensor and configured for wearing by the person, said communications device capable of sending a signal to a remote location;

a processing device, capable of receiving said sensor data, for determining when a spike pulse has been received that indicates the possibility a fall has occurred and then evaluates the severity of the fall based on the spike pulse magnitude; and

a remote unit for communicating with the communications device and generating an alarm when said processing device causes said alert state.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one acceleration sensor comprises a multi-dimensional accelerometer.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said monitoring unit and said communications device are contained within a single relatively small housing configured for wearing by a person.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said communications device is capable of communicating by at least one of:

local RF, cellular networks, and telephone land lines.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said remote unit is capable of communicating with said communications device by at least one of:

local RF, cellular networks, and telephone land lines.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said remote unit comprises a pager.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein said processing device includes at least one of firmware and software for comparing the data with predetermined acceptable ranges.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said processing device further includes data storage means for recording said sensor data and storing said predetermined acceptable ranges.

26. The system of claim 25, further including access means associated with said processing device for enabling access to information recorded in the data storage means.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising a humanly perceptible alarm associated with said remote unit for providing an alarm when the data is outside a predetermined range.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said remote unit further includes display means for displaying information based upon the data.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said remote unit further comprises a data storage mechanism having a plurality of acceptable ranges for physiological values stored therein, and processor means for comparing the data received from the first communications means with the acceptable ranges stored in the data storage mechanism.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the data storage mechanism is capable of storing sensor data received from the communications device.

31. The system of claim 18, further comprising at least one physiological sensor disposed on the person for generating a signal indicative of at least one physiological condition in communication with said processing device.

32. The system of claim 31, further including a wireless local area network for communicating between the at least one physiological sensor and said processing device.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said at least one physiological sensor comprises at least one of a pulse sensor, a blood pressure sensor, an ECG sensor, a S_p O₂ sensor, and a blood perfusion sensor.

34. A method of monitoring physical activity of a person, comprising:

measuring relative movement of the person with a multi-dimensional accelerometer;

generating signals representing the measured movement;

transmitting the signals to a base unit;

processing the signals into data; and

comparing the data until a spike pulse is received from the multi-dimensional accelerometer to indicate the possibility that a fall has occurred and then the severity of the fall is determined based on spike pulse magnitude.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said measuring includes securing at least one sensor to the person.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the transmitting includes communicating by employing at least one of a satellite, radio waves, and a land line.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said measuring includes sensing at least one activity selected from the group comprising:

walking, running, being still, and falling.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said measuring includes sensing at least one position of the person selected from the group comprising:

prone, supine, vertical, and combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said sensing the activity of falling further includes sensing the direction that the person has fallen.

40. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating a humanly perceptible signal when the values indicative of the measured physical conditions are outside of the acceptable ranges.

41. The method of claim 34, further including measuring at least one physiological parameter and generating a signal indicative thereof, comparing the signal with at least one value indicative of a limit of said at least one physiological parameter, and determining whether said at least one physiological parameter is beyond said limit.

42. The method of claim 39, further including determining whether a change in other sensor data correlates with the fall.

43. The method of claim 39, further including determining whether a cardiac arrhythmia may have occurred, and correlating such an event with the fall.