Device for monitoring a vital sign

• US 6,811,535 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kopel, Doron, Palti, Yoram, Wasserman, Yoram, Glick, Baruch, Urbach, Israel, Itzhaki, Aviran
• Primary Examiner(s): Hook, James
• Application Number:
  US09/862,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 600/499, 600/500, 600/501, 600/502, 600/503, 600/481
• US Class Current: 600/499
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132
• 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 5/14557 specially adapted to extracorporeal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow

Abstract

A device (1) for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, comprising a measuring unit (2) for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign at an area (8) overlying an artery (7) of the subject, which measuring unit (2) is provided on a carrier (3) to be worn by the subject during operation, and a processing unit (4) for processing the measured physical quantity into a value for the vital sign, which device (1) is provided with at least one detector (5) for detecting the position of the measuring unit (2) relative to the artery (7) of the subject during operation and for actuating a feedback signal (Ufeedback) in dependence on this position. The user can move the device (1) relative to the artery (7) until the feedback signal (Ufeedback) is given, and thus a correct positioning of the measuring unit (2) relative to the artery (7) is achieved in an easy manner.

Claims

1. A device (1) for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, comprising

a measuring unit (2) for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign at an area (8) overlying an artery (7) of the subject, which measuring unit (2) is provided on a carrier (3) to be worn by the subject during operation, and

a processing unit (4) for processing the measured physical quantity into a value for the vital sign, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with at least one detector (5) for detecting the position of the measuring unit (2) relative to the artery (7) of the subject during operation and for actuating a feedback signal (Ufeedback) in dependence on this position, characterized in that a plurality of sensors (10, 11) for detecting the presence of the artery (7) in the vicinity of the sensor (10, 11) are provided in an array.

2. A device (1) for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, comprising

a measuring unit (2) for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign at an area (8) overlying an artery (7) of the subject, which measuring unit (2) is provided on a carrier (3) to be worn by the subject during operation, and

a processing unit (4) for processing the measured physical quantity into a value for the vital sign, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with at least one detector (5) for detecting the position of the measuring unit (2) relative to the artery (7) of the subject during operation and for actuating a feedback signal (Ufeedback) in dependence on this position, wherein the carrier (3) comprises an annular body (3′

) which is at least partly rigid, characterized in that the carrier (3) comprises an annular body (3″

) which is entirely rigid.

3. A device (1) for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, comprising

a measuring unit (2) for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign at an area (8) overlying an artery (7) of the subject, which measuring unit (2) is provided on a carrier (3) to be worn by the subject during operation, and

a processing unit (4) for processing the measured physical quantity into a value for the vital sign, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with at least one detector (5) for detecting the position of the measuring unit (2) relative to the artery (7) of the subject during operation and for actuating a feedback signal (Ufeedback) in dependence on this position,

characterized in that the measuring unit (2′

) comprises an inflatable cushion (13) for applying a pressure to said area (8) overlying said artery (7) of the subject, and the cushion (13) comprises a plurality of separately inflatable cushion parts (14).

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the cushion parts (14) comprise protuberances (24) which project from a surface area (15) of the carrier (3) in a direction practically perpendicular to said surface area.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the carrier (3) comprises an annular body (16) which can be closed during operation, the cushion (13′

) being provided along an entire inner wall of said body (16).

6. A method for positioning a device for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, the method comprising:

operating a device, responsive to a first positioning of the device on a living measurement subject near an artery, wherein the device comprises;

a carrier to be worn by the subject during operation;

an array of sensors;

a measuring unit for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign; and

a processing unit for providing signals in a human understandable fashion, the signals including a value of the vital sign, responsive to the at least one physical quantity;

detecting, using at least one of the sensors, a more precise position of the artery; and

communicating, responsive to the more precise position of the artery, a necessary motion of the device to allow the measuring unit to be placed on top of the artery.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the array comprises more than two separate sensors.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the array comprises sensors arranged in a plurality of rows.

9. A method for positioning a device for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, the method comprising:

operating a device, responsive to a first positioning of the device on a living measurement subject near an artery, wherein the device comprises;

a carrier to be worn by the subject during operation;

an array of sensors;

a measuring unit for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign; and

a processing unit for providing signals in a human understandable fashion, the signals including a value of the vital sign, responsive to the at least one physical quantity;

detecting, using at least one of the sensors, a more precise position of the artery; and

communicating, responsive to the more precise position of the artery, a necessary motion of the device to allow the measuring unit to he placed on top of the artery,

wherein communicating comprises supplying visible direction arrows on a user-visible surface of the carrier, which direction arrows indicate a desirable direction of motion for repositioning the device.

10. A method for positioning a device for monitoring a vital sign of a living subject, the method comprising:

operating a device, responsive to a first positioning of the device on a living measurement subject near an artery, wherein the device comprises;

a carrier to be worn by the subject during operation;

an array of sensors;

a measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of said vital sign; and

a processing unit for providing signals in a human understandable fashion, the signals including a value of the vital sign, responsive to the at least one physical quantity;

detecting, using at least one of the sensors, a more precise position of the artery; and

communicating, responsive to the more precise position of the artery, a necessary motion of the device to allow the measuring unit to be placed on top of the artery.

comprising responsive to the necessary motion, detecting a further more precise positioning of the artery using at least one different one of the array of sensors and iterating until a correct positioning is reached.

11. A blood pressure measuring device comprising

a carrier to be worn by the subject during operation;

an array of sensors for detecting an artery;

a measuring unit for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of blood pressure; and

a processing unit for providing signals, the signals including

a feedback signal, responsive to an output from the array of sensors, for enabling a user to reposition the device to place the measuring unit more nearly over the artery, and

a blood pressure value, responsive to the at least one physical quantity and responsive to the output from the array of sensors indicating that the measuring unit is properly positioned over the artery.

12. A blood pressure measuring device comprising

a carrier to be worn by the subject during operation;

an array of sensors for detecting an artery;

a measuring unit for measuring at least one physical quantity indicative of blood pressure; and

a processing unit for providing signals, the signals including

a feedback signal, responsive to an output from the array of sensors, for enabling a user to reposition the device to place the measuring unit more nearly over the artery, and

a blood pressure value, responsive to the at least one physical quantity and responsive to the output from the array of sensors indicating that the measuring unit is properly positioned over the artery

further comprising a user-readable display device displaying lighted arrows responsive to the feedback signal to indicate a desired direction of motion of the device.