Physiological sensing device
First Claim
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1. A device for sensing physiological processes of a mammal, comprising:
- (a) a housing;
(b) a sensing portion at least partially within the housing;
(c) a load transfer element in communication with the sensing portion; and
(d) an interface transition mechanism in communication with the load transfer element for interfacing with a portion of the mammal wherein at least a portion of the interface transition mechanism comprises a rigid stiffening member.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a non-invasive device for measuring physiological processes. More particularly, it concerns a device that can be applied externally to the body of an animal or human to detect and quantify displacement, force, motion, vibration and acoustic effects resulting from internal biological functions. Specifically, an inexpensive device is disclosed that is compact, light, portable and comfortable, and operates satisfactorily even with imprecise location on the body, ambient noise, motion and light.
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Citations
93 Claims
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1. A device for sensing physiological processes of a mammal, comprising:
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(a) a housing;
(b) a sensing portion at least partially within the housing;
(c) a load transfer element in communication with the sensing portion; and
(d) an interface transition mechanism in communication with the load transfer element for interfacing with a portion of the mammal wherein at least a portion of the interface transition mechanism comprises a rigid stiffening member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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- 22. A wrist mountable self-contained heart rate monitor comprising an automatic and continuous heart rate display generated by an assembly comprising a sensing portion, a load transfer element in communication with the sensing portion, and an interface transition mechanism in communication with the load transfer element for contacting the wrist, wherein at least a portion of the interface transition mechanism comprises a rigid stiffening member.
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25. A device for sensing at least one physiological process of an animal, said device comprising:
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(a) a sensing portion;
(b) a load transfer element in communication with the sensing portion;
(c) an interface transition mechanism in communication with the load transfer element wherein said interface transition mechanism interfaces with a portion of the animal and at least a portion of the interface transition mechanism comprises a rigid stiffening member. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
a filter at the output of said at least one sensing element;
a first amplifier having an input at the output of said sensor, an output, and a gain between said input and said output;
a second amplifier having an input at the output of said first amplifier and an output;
means for controlling the gain of said first amplifier; and
an analog to digital converter having an analog input at the output of said second amplifier and a digital output.
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68. The device in accordance with claim 66, wherein said processing portion comprises means for processing the digital output of said analog to digital converter.
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69. The device in accordance with claim 68, wherein said processing portion further comprises means for displaying physiological process information determined from the digital output of said analog to digital converter.
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70. The device in accordance with claim 67, wherein said at least one sensing element further has a sensor signal and a capacitance at the output thereof;
- and wherein said filter is a capacitive voltage divider at the output of said at least one sensing element and at the input of said first amplifier, said capacitive voltage divider has a capacitance which attenuates the sensor signal and reduces input impedance at the input of said first amplifier, thereby reducing power consumption of said first amplifier.
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71. The device in accordance with claim 70, wherein said filter includes a resistor in parallel with a capacitor.
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72. The device in accordance with claim 70, wherein said second amplifier includes a fixed gain between the input and the output thereof;
- and wherein said means for controlling the gain of said first amplifier includes means for automatically adjusting said gain of said first amplifier as a function of said sensor signal.
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73. The device in accordance with claim 72, wherein said means for automatically adjusting said gain includes means for adjusting said gain from one to greater than one hundred.
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74. The device in accordance with claim 73, wherein said means for adjusting said gain includes a variable resistance.
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75. The device in accordance with claim 74, wherein the input of said first amplifier is a positive input;
- wherein said first amplifier also has a negative input; and
wherein said variable resistance is a field effect transistor which is electrically connected between said means for automatically adjusting said gain and said negative input.
- wherein said first amplifier also has a negative input; and
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76. The device in accordance with claim 75, wherein said filter includes a first resistor in parallel with a first capacitor;
- and wherein the negative input of said first amplifier has a second resistor in parallel with a second capacitor, with said first and second resistors having equal resistances, and with said first and second capacitors having equal capacitances.
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77. The device in accordance with claim 72, wherein said sensor signal has a variable amplitude;
- and wherein said means for automatically adjusting said gain adjusts said gain as a function of said variable amplitude.
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78. The device in accordance with claim 77, wherein said means for processing the digital output of said analog to digital converter includes means for employing a fixed value as a trigger point for processing said digital output.
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79. The device in accordance with claim 67, wherein said means for controlling the gain of said first amplifier includes a diode having a cathode electrically connected to the output of said second amplifier and an anode;
- a resistor in parallel with a capacitor, said resistor and said capacitor being electrically connected to the anode of said diode; and
a field effect transistor having a gate electrically connected to said anode.
- a resistor in parallel with a capacitor, said resistor and said capacitor being electrically connected to the anode of said diode; and
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80. The device in accordance with claim 79, wherein said at least one sensing element further has a sensor signal with a plurality of negative pulses;
- and wherein each of said negative pulses causes a corresponding negative pulse at the output of said second amplifier which has a direct electrical path through said diode to the gate of said field effect transistor, thereby minimizing a delay between said output of said second amplifier and said means for controlling the gain of said first amplifier.
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81. The device in accordance with claim 80, wherein said sensor signal has a peak;
- and wherein said means for controlling the gain of said first amplifier includes means for adjusting said gain with respect to the peak of said sensor signal.
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82. The device in accordance with claim 68, wherein said means for processing includes means for applying threshold detection to the digital signal of said analog to digital converter.
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83. The device in accordance with claim 68, wherein said means for processing includes means for detecting a first peak of the digital signal of said analog to digital converter, and means for delaying a predetermined time before detecting a second peak of the digital signal of said analog to digital converter.
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84. The device in accordance with claim 68, wherein said means for processing includes means for detecting a descending threshold of the digital signal of said analog to digital converter, and means for delaying a predetermined time before detecting an ascending threshold of said digital signal.
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85. The device in accordance with claim 68, wherein the physiological process of said animal is selected from the group consisting of a heart beat, a respiratory event, a respiration in the upper airway, a respiration in the lungs, a blood pressure, a radial pulse, a carotid pulse and a temporal pulse;
- and wherein said means for processing includes means for detecting said selected physiological process.
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86. The device in accordance with claim 85, wherein said means for processing includes means for displaying said selected physiological process.
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87. The device in accordance with claim 85, wherein said means for processing includes means for detecting said heart rate as said selected physiological process.
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88. The device in accordance with claim 87, wherein said means for processing includes means for rejecting said heart rate which is below a first predetermined value and which is above a second predetermined value.
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89. The device in accordance with claim 88, wherein said first predetermined value is 35 beats per minute;
- and wherein said second predetermined value is above 210 beats per minute.
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90. The device in accordance with claim 87, wherein said means for processing includes means for averaging a series of consecutively detected heart rates.
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91. A wrist mountable self-contained heart rate monitor comprising:
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means for displaying a heart rate; and
an assembly for automatically and continuously generating said heart rate for said means for displaying, said assembly comprising;
a sensing portion for sensing a heart rate signal;
a load transfer element in communication with the sensing portion;
an interface transition mechanism in communication with the load transfer element wherein said interface transition mechanism interfaces with a portion of the animal and at least a portion of the interface transition mechanism comprises a rigid stiffening member; and
a processing portion in communication with the sensing portion for processing said heart rate signal and outputting said heart rate to said means for displaying. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93)
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Specification