Body composition analyzer with trend display

• US 6,354,996 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Levatter, Jeffrey I., Drinan, Darrel, Alting-Mees, Adrian P., Merz, Diethard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASTORINO, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/291,546
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300-301, 600/547, 128/903, 128/900, 128/920-925, 705/2, 705/3, 379/106.02
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A body composition analysis and display system provides a display of averaged data for selected body composition factors, such as body weight and body fat percentage, at a plurality of selected intervals over a period of time. The user'"'"'s body fat percentage is determined by measuring the user'"'"'s body impedance.

Claims

1. A system for measuring and displaying body composition information comprising means for measuring a current value of at least one body composition factor, means for storing the results of measurements of said at least one body composition factor taken over a plurality of prior intervals, means for computing and storing an average value of said at least one body composition factor measured during one or more of said prior intervals in an event more than one such measurement of said at least one body composition factor is made during said one or more prior intervals, and means operatively coupled to said storing means for displaying the results of the current measurement along with data representative of at least one prior measurement of said at least one body composition factor.

2. The system of claim 1, in which said displaying means comprises a graphic display of the results of the current and at least one prior measurement of at least two body composition factors.

3. The system of claim 2, in which said body composition factors include body weight and body fat percentage.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising means for measuring the user'"'"'s body weight and bioimpedance, and means for computing the user'"'"'s body fat percentage from said measured weight and bioimpedance.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for inputting one of a plurality of user identification codes, each of said codes being associated with one of a corresponding plurality of potential users, said displaying means being operative to display body composition data only for the user identified by the inputted personal identification code.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for storing body measurement data only for measurements of a body composition factor taken during a predetermined period of time of day.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a base unit including said measuring means and a display unit remote from said base unit, said remote display unit including said displaying means, and means in said base unit for transmitting current and prior body composition data from said base unit to said remote display unit.

10. The system of claim 1, in which said body composition factor includes one or more of body weight, body fat percentage, fat free mass, lean body mass, body mass index, and total water content.

11. The system of claim 10, in which said displaying means comprises a graphic display of the results of the current and at least one prior measurement of at least two body composition factors.

12. The system of claim 11, in which said body composition factors include body weight and body fat percentage.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for measuring the user'"'"'s body weight and means for computing the user'"'"'s bioimpedance, and means for computing at least one other body composition factor from said value of bioimpedance.

14. The system of claim 4, comprising a base unit including said measuring means and a display unit remote from said base unit and including said displaying means, and means in said base unit for transmitting the current and prior body composition data from said base unit to said remote display unit.

15. The system of claim 14, in which said transmitting means includes an infrared transmitter, said display unit comprising an infrared receiver.

6. A system for measuring and displaying body composition information comprising means for measuring a current value of at least one body composition factor, means for storing the results of measurements of said at least one body composition factor taken over a plurality of prior intervals means for computing and storing an average value of said at least one body composition factor measured during one or more of said prior intervals in an event more than one such measurement of said at least one body composition factor is made during said one or more prior intervals, means operatively coupled to said storing means for displaying the results of the current measurement along with data representative of at least one prior measurement of said at least one body composition factor, means for comparing a current body composition measurement against a stored value of body composition measurement against a stored value of body composition measurement, and means for preventing access to the stored body composition data if the stored body composition deviates front the current body composition data by a predetermined amount.

7. A system for measuring and displaying body composition information comprising means for measuring a current value of at least one body composition factor, means for storing the results of measurements of said at least one body composition factor taken over a plurality of prior intervals, means for computing and storing an average value of said at least one body composition factor measured during one or more of said prior intervals in an event more than one such measurement of said at least one body composition factor is made during said one or more prior intervals, means operatively coupled to said storing means for displaying the results of the current measurement along with data representative of at least one prior measurement of said at least one body composition factor, and means for storing body composition measurement data only for measurements of a body composition factor taken during a predetermined period time of day.

16. A body composition display system comprising means for measuring and computing at least first and second different body composition factors of a user, means coupled to said measuring and computing means for storing data representative of at least one measurement of said first and second body composition factors made during at least one prior time interval, and means coupled to said storing means for displaying said at least one prior measured value of said first and second body composition factors, along with a display of the current values of said first and second body composition factors.

17. The system of claim 16, in which said body composition factors include body weight and body fat percentage, said measuring means comprising means for measuring the user'"'"'s bioimpedance and means for deriving therefrom a signal representative of the user'"'"'s body weight.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for inputting one of a plurality of personal identification codes, said displaying means being effective to display body composition data only for the user identified by the inputted personal identification code.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for computing the average values of body weight and body fat percentage taken during one or more of said prior intervals in the event more than one of such measurements is made during that prior interval.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for inputting one of a plurality of personal identification codes, each of said codes being associated with one of a corresponding plurality of users, said displaying means, in response to said input code, displaying body composition data only for the user identified by the inputted personal identification code.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for computing the average values of body weight and body fat percentage taken during one of said prior intervals in the event more than one of such measurements is made during that interval.

22. The system of claim 21, in which said means for computing body fat percentage includes means for measuring the user'"'"'s bioimpedance, said bioimpedance measuring means including a current source, a first pair of electrodes coupled to said current source, a second pair of electrodes, and means for measuring the voltage drop across said second pair of electrodes.

23. The system of claim 16, in which said measuring means and said computing means are included in a base sensor unit, and said displaying means is included in a display unit remote from said base sensor unit, said base sensor unit comprising means coupled to said computing means for transmitting the computed body composition data to said remote display unit.

24. The system of claim 23, in which said transmitting means includes an infrared transmitter, said display unit comprising an infrared receiver.

25. The system of claim 22, in which said measuring means and said computing means are included in a base sensor unit, and said displaying means is included in a display unit remote from said base sensor unit, said base sensor unit comprising means coupled to said computing means for transmitting the computed body composition data to said remote display unit.

26. The system of claim 25, in which said transmitting means includes an infrared transmitter, said display unit comprising an infrared receiver.

27. A system for measuring and displaying current and previously measured body composition factors for a plurality of authorized users, said system comprising security or identification means for comparing a current body factor measurements and prior stored body composition measurements, and means effective to preclude the current user from gaining access to stored body composition data if the current and stored body composition data deviate by more than a predetermined amount.

28. The system of claim 27, in which a displaying means comprises a graphic display of the results of the current and at lest one prior measurement of at least two body composition factors.

29. The system of claim 28, in which a measuring means and said computing means are included in a base sensor unit, and said displaying means is included in a display unit remote from said base sensor unit, said base sensor unit comprising means coupled to said computing means for transmitting the computed body composition data to said remote display unit.

30. The system of claim 27, in which said security means includes means for comparing the current body composition measurements with prior body composition measurements for a user identified by the identification code entered by the current user.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for storing body measurement data only for measurements taken during a predetermined period of time of day.

32. A system for measuring and displaying body composition factors for a plurality of potential users including means for displaying the results of current and prior body composition measurements, means for inputting one of a plurality of user identification codes, each of said codes being associated with one of a corresponding plurality of potential users, and means for permitting a display of stored body composition information only for the user identified by the inputted user identification code.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for storing body measurement data only for measurements taken during a predetermined period of time of day.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for comparing a current body composition measurement against the stored value of an authorized user'"'"'s body composition measurement, and means for preventing access to the stored measurement data if the stored measurement data deviates from the current measurement data by a predetermined amount.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising means for comparing a current body composition measurement against the stored value of an authorized user'"'"'s body composition measurement, and means for preventing access to the stored measurement data if the stored measurement data deviates from the current measurement data by a predetermined amount.

36. A system for measuring and displaying measured body composition factors comprising means for measuring body composition factors, means for storing the results of current and prior body composition measurements, and means for storing in said storing means only the results of a body composition measurement taken during a predetermined time of day.

37. The system of claim 36, in which said body composition factor includes one or more of body weight, body fat percentage, fat free mass, lean body mass, body mass index, and total water content.

38. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for comparing a current body composition measurement against the stored value of an authorized user'"'"'s body composition measurement, and means for preventing access to the stored measurement data if the stored measurement data deviates from the current measurement data by a predetermined amount.

39. The system of claim 36, in which said displaying means comprises a graphic display of the results of the current and at lest one prior measurement of at least two body composition factors .

40. The system of claim 36, in which said body composition factors include body weight and body fat percentage.

41. The system of claim 36, in which said measuring means and said computing means are included in a base sensor unit, and said displaying means is included in a display unit remote from said base sensor unit, said base sensor unit comprising means coupled to said computing means for transmitting the computed body composition data to said remote display unit.

42. The system of claim 41, in which said transmitting means includes an infrared transmitter, said display unit comprising an infrared receiver.

43. A system suitable for home use for measuring and displaying at least one body composition factor comprising a base unit and a display unit remote from said base unit, said base unit including means for measuring said at least one body composition factor and means for storing the result of the measurement of said body composition factor, said remote display unit including means for displaying the results of a current and at least one prior measurement of said body composition factor, and means in said base unit for transmitting stored and current body composition information to said remote display unit.

44. The system of claim 43, in which said body composition factor includes one or more of body weight, body fat percentage, fat free mass, lean body mass, body mass index, and total water content.

45. The system of claim 43, in which said body composition factors include body weight and body fat percentage.

46. The system of claim 44, in which said means for computing body fat percentage includes means for measuring the user'"'"'s bioimpedance, said bioimpedance measuring including a current source, a first pair of electrodes coupled to said current source, a second pair of electrodes, and means for measuring the voltage drop across said second pair of electrodes.

47. The system of claim 43, in which said displaying means comprises a graphic display of the results of the current and at least one prior measurement of at least two body composition factors.

48. The system of claim 47, in which said body composition factors include body weight and body fat percentage.

49. The system of claim 43, further comprising means for inputting one of a plurality of user identification codes, each of said codes being associated with one of a corresponding plurality of potential users, said display means displaying body composition data only for the user identified by the inputted personal identification code.

50. The system of claim 43, further comprising means for comparing a current body composition measurement against the stored value of an authorized user'"'"'s body composition measurement, and means for preventing access to the stored measurement data if the stored measurement data deviates from the current measurement data by a predetermined amount.

51. The system of claim 50, further comprising means for storing body measurement data only for measurements taken during a predetermined period of time of day.

52. The system of claim 43, in which said transmitting means includes an infrared transmitter, said display unit comprising an infrared receiver.

53. A system for measuring and displaying at least one body composition factor of an individual comprising means for measuring the individual'"'"'s bioimpedance, and means for modifying the measured bioimpedance by an amount based on the time of day the measurement is made.

54. The system of claim 53, in which said body composition factor is body fat percentage.

55. The system of claim 53, in which said measuring means is included in a base sensor unit, and further including means for displaying the measured body composition factor, said display means being included in a display unit remote from said base sensor unit.

56. The system of claim 55, in which said base sensor unit includes means operatively coupled to said measuring means for transmitting data representative of the measured body composition factor to said display unit.

57. A system for measuring and displaying body composition information comprising means for measuring the current value of a body composition factor which includes at least the user'"'"'s body fat percentage, means for storing the results of a measurement of said body composition factor taken during said at least one prior interval, and means operatively coupled to said storing means for displaying the results of the current measurement of the user'"'"'s body fat percentage along with data representative of said at least one prior measurement of the user'"'"'s body fat percentage.

58. The system of claim 57, in which said displaying means comprises a graphic display of the results of the current and said at least one prior measurement of the user'"'"'s body fat percentage and of at least one additional body composition factor.

59. The system of claim 58, in which said additional body composition factor includes body weight.

60. The system of claim 57, further comprising means for measuring the user'"'"'s body weight and bioimpedance, and means for computing the user'"'"'s body fat percentage from said measured weight and bioimpedance.

61. The system of claim 57, further comprising means for inputting one of a plurality of user identification codes, each of said codes being associated with one of a corresponding plurality of potential users, said displaying means being operative to display body composition data only for the user identified by the inputted personal identification code.

62. The system of claim 57, further comprising means for comparing a current body composition measurement against a stored value of body composition measurement, and means for preventing access to the stored body composition data if the stored body composition data deviates from the current body composition data by a predetermined amount.

63. The system of claim 57, comprising a base unit including said measuring means and a display unit remote from said base unit, said remote display unit including said displaying means, and means in said base unit for transmitting current and prior body composition data from said base unit to said remote display unit.