Wireless EKG

• US 6,295,466 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ball Semiconductor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ball Semiconductor, Inc.
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Akira, Ahn, Samuel S., Ahn, Suzanne I., Takeda, Nabuo, Hays, Steven R., Gaffney, F. Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US09/478,320
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 600/373, 600/374, 600/377, 600/509
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]

Abstract

A wireless electrocardiogram monitor utilizing a cooperative association of miniature semiconductor balls. A side view of a surface mount cardiac monitor system (200) shows three semiconductor electrode balls (202), (204), and (206) contacting a central communication ball (208) for electrical communication therebetween. Each of the electrode balls (202), (204), and (206) have fabricated thereon a respective electrode (210), (212), and (214) for receiving electrical signals from the heart. The electrode signals are passed to the central communication ball (208) for processing, filtering, digital conversion, and transmission therefrom to a remote control system being operated by a medical technician. The data can then be displayed to medical personnel.

Claims

1. A surface cardiac monitor system for monitoring electrical activity of the heart, comprising:

one or more semiconductor electrode balls adaptable to be embedded in organic tissue, and/or dispersed adjacent thereto having respective electrode sensors for sensing electrical heart activity;

a central processing semiconductor ball having each of said one or more semiconductor electrode balls connected electrically thereto for receiving respective heart signals from said sensors of said electrode balls, and processing said heart signals for transmission via a wireless communication link external to said organic tissue in which it is embedded; and

a remote control system for receiving said transmitted heart signals and extracting heart information from said transmitted heart signal about the electrical activity of the heart.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more electrode balls is uniquely selectable by a respective unique frequency in a frequency mode, and by a unique ID stored therein in an ID mode, wherein in said frequency mode, one or more independent frequencies are transmitted to cause respective said one or more electrode balls to respond independently with said heart signals, and in said ID mode, one or more respective said unique IDs are transmitted to cause respective said one or more electrode balls to respond independently with said heart signals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more semiconductor electrode balls are oriented substantially orthogonally from each other.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more semiconductor electrode balls and said central processing ball are substantially spherical.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more semiconductor electrode balls and said central processing ball are placed on the skin over the precordium anywhere from the sternum to the anterior axillary line in the 5^th intercostal space.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote control system has a display for displaying said heart information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more electrode balls is a single semiconductor electrode ball having three electrode sensors fabricated thereon in an orthogonal orientation, and said single electrode ball connects electrically to said central processing ball for processing of said heart signals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said electrode sensors are fabricated on the central processing ball such that the capabilities of sensing the heart activity and processing the heart in formation occurs on said central processing ball.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing ball comprises a comparator amplifier, a noise filter, and an analog-to-digital converter, said comparator amplifier receiving pairs of said electrode signals generated by pairs of said electrodes and generating an analog signal indicative of the comparison of said electrode signals;

said noise filter removes noise signals from said generated analog signal; and

said analog-to-digital signal converts said analog signal into a digital representative of the sensed electrical heart activity for transmission to said remote control system using said wireless communication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said central processing ball contains a matrix switch for switching pairs of said electrode signals into said comparator amplifier.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication for transmitting said heart signal is a telemetry transmitter device operating at radio frequency.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote location receives said digitized transmitted heart signal is a telemetry receiver device operating at radio frequency.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said central processing ball comprises first and second processing circuits which process electrode signals of said electrodes in a parallel, but non-linear fashion, by processing with said first processing circuit an electrode signal of a second electrode and an electrode signal of a first electrode, and by processing with said second processing circuit an electrode signal of said second electrode and an electrode signal of a third electrode.

14. A method of monitoring electrical activity of the heart with surface cardiac monitor system, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more semiconductor electrode balls having respective electrode sensors for sensing electrical heart activity;

disposing the one or more semiconductor balls proximate to the surface of the skin of an individual in such a manner as to selectively monitor electrical activity of the heart;

electrically connecting a central processing semiconductor ball to each of the one or more semiconductor electrode balls for receiving respective heart signals from the sensors of the electrode balls, and processing the heart signals for transmission via a wireless communication link; and

receiving the transmitted heart signals at a remote control system heart information from the transmitted heart signal corresponding to the electrical activity of the heart.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more electrode balls in the step of providing are uniquely selectable by a respective unique frequency in a frequency mode, and by a unique ID stored therein in an ID mode, wherein in the frequency mode, one or more independent frequencies are transmitted to cause respective the one or more electrode balls to respond independently with the heart signals, and in the ID mode, one or more respective the unique IDs are transmitted to cause respective the one or more electrode balls to respond independently with the heart signals.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more semiconductor electrode balls in the step of providing are oriented substantially orthogonally from each other.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more semiconductor electrode balls and the central processing ball are substantially spherical.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more semiconductor electrode balls and the central processing ball are placed on the skin over the precordium anywhere from the sternum to the anterior axillary line in the 5^th intercostal space.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the remote control system in the step of receiving has a display for displaying the heart information.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more electrode balls in the step of providing is a single semiconductor electrode ball having three electrode sensors fabricated thereon in an orthogonal orientation, and the single electrode ball connects electrically to the central processing ball for processing of the heart signals.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrode sensors in the step of providing are fabricated on the central processing ball such that the capabilities of sensing the heart activity and processing the heart in formation occurs on the central processing ball.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the central processing ball in the step of connecting comprises a comparator amplifier, a noise filter, and an analog-to-digital converter, the comparator amplifier receiving pairs of the electrode signals generated by pairs of the electrodes and generating an analog signal indicative of the comparison of the electrode signals;

the noise filter removes noise signals from the generated analog signal; and

the analog-to-digital signal converts the analog signal into a digital representative of the sensed electrical heart activity for transmission to the remote control system using the wireless communication.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the central processing ball in the step of connecting contains a matrix switch for switching pairs of the electrode signals into the comparator amplifier.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication for transmitting the heart signal in the step of connecting is a telemetry transmitter device operating at radio frequency.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the remote location in the step of receiving receives the digitized transmitted heart signal is a telemetry receiver device operating at radio frequency.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the central processing ball in the step of connecting comprises first and second processing circuits which process electrode signals of the electrodes in a parallel, but non-linear fashion, by processing with the first processing circuit an electrode signal of a second electrode and an electrode signal of a first electrode, and by processing with the second processing circuit an electrode signal of the second electrode and an electrode signal of a third electrode.

27. A wireless EKG monitor, comprising:

one or more semiconductor electrode balls adaptable to be embedded on organic tissue, and/or dispersed adjacent thereto, having respective electrode sensors for sensing electrical heart activity; and

a central processing semiconductor ball having each of said one or more semiconductor electrode balls connected electrically thereto for receiving respective heart signals from said sensors of said electrode balls, and processing said heart signals for transmission via a wireless communication link external to said organic tissue in which it is embedded.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said one or more semiconductor electrode balls are oriented substantially orthogonally from each other.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said one or more semiconductor electrode balls and said central processing ball are substantially spherical.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said one or more semiconductor electrode balls and said central processing ball are placed on the skin over the precordium anywhere from the sternum to the anterior axillary line in the 5^th intercostal space.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said one or more electrode balls is a single semiconductor electrode ball having three electrode sensors fabricated thereon in an orthogonal orientation, and said single electrode ball connects electrically to said central processing ball for processing of said heart signals.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein said electrode sensors are fabricated on the central processing ball such that the capabilities of sensing the heart activity and processing the heart in formation occurs on said central processing ball.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein said central processing ball comprises a comparator amplifier, a noise filter, and an analog-to-digital converter, said comparator amplifier receiving pairs of said electrode signals generated by pairs of said electrodes and generating an analog signal indicative of the comparison of said electrode signals;

said noise filter removes noise signals from said generated analog signal; and

said analog-to-digital signal converts said analog signal into a digital representative of the sensed electrical heart activity for transmission to said remote control system using said wireless communication.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said central processing ball contains a matrix switch for switching pairs of said electrode signals into said comparator amplifier.

35. A method of monitoring using a wireless EKG monitor, comprising:

providing one or more semiconductor electrode balls which are adaptable to be embedded in organic tissue, and/or dispersed adjacent thereto, having respective electrode sensors for sensing electrical heart activity; and

electrically connecting a central processing semiconductor ball having each of the one or more semiconductor electrode balls connected electrically thereto for receiving respective heart signals from the sensors of the electrode balls, and processing the heart signals for transmission via a wireless communication link external to the organic tissue in which it is embedded.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more semiconductor electrode balls in the step of providing are oriented substantially orthogonally from each other.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more semiconductor electrode balls and the central processing ball are substantially spherical.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more semiconductor electrode balls and the central processing ball are placed on the skin over the precordium anywhere from the sternum to the anterior axillary line in the 5^th intercostal space.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more electrode balls in the step of providing is a single semiconductor electrode ball having three electrode sensors fabricated thereon in an orthogonal orientation, and the single electrode ball connects electrically to the central processing ball for processing of the heart signals.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the electrode sensors are fabricated on the central processing ball such that the capabilities of sensing the heart activity and processing the heart in formation occurs on the central processing ball.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the central processing ball in the step of connecting comprises a comparator amplifier, a noise filter, and an analog-to-digital converter, the comparator amplifier receiving pairs of the electrode signals generated by pairs of the electrodes and generating an analog signal indicative of the comparison of the electrode signals;

the noise filter removes noise signals from the generated analog signal; and

the analog-to-digital signal converts the analog signal into a digital representative of the sensed electrical heart activity for transmission to the remote control system using the wireless communication.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the central processing ball in the step of connecting contains a matrix switch for switching pairs of the electrode signals into the comparator amplifier.