Portable monitoring apparatus with over the air programming and sampling volume collection cavity

• US 7,750,815 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quantum Electronics Limited
• Original Assignee: Quantum Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Burris, Sanford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/035,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/825.69, 128/903, 128/920, 600/300, 600/301, 701/211, 701/212
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A portable monitoring apparatus includes a bracelet having a housing and a strap for connecting the bracelet with a body part of a person being monitored, and an electronic monitoring circuit disposed in the housing. The electronic monitoring circuit executes an executable program for controlling the monitoring circuit according to a control algorithm. The executable program is modifiable by over the air programming from a monitoring network having transmitting and receiving circuits in operative communication with the electronic monitoring circuit. The housing of the bracelet includes a contract portion configured to engage the skin of the person being monitored and a cavity portion having an opening defining a closed sampling volume when the base is in contact with the person. An alcohol sensor is disposed at the sampling volume for detecting a physiological condition of the human and generating a signal thereof.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring a condition of an associated human, the monitoring system comprising:

a bracelet having a housing and a strap for connecting the bracelet with a body part of the associated human being monitored;

an electronic monitoring circuit disposed in said housing, the electronic monitoring circuit including;

a first sensor for detecting a condition of said human being monitored and generating a first signal based on the detected condition,

a first memory storing a first executable program defining a first control algorithm,

a second memory storing data relating to said condition of the human being monitored,

a processor operatively coupled with the first sensor and with the first and second memories, the processor being configured to execute the first executable program for controlling the electronic monitoring circuit according to said first control algorithm to generate condition data based on said first signal and relating to the detected condition of the human being monitored and store the condition data in the second memory,

a transmitter operatively associated with the processor for selectively transmitting said condition data from the housing as a first transmitted signal, and

a receiver operatively associated with the processor for selectively receiving a command signal as a first received signal; and

,

a monitoring network having at least one receiving circuit receiving said first transmitted signal and at least one transmitting circuit transmitting said command signal, the processor of said electronic monitoring system being responsive to the command signal from the monitoring network to execute a second executable program different from the first executable program for controlling the electronic monitoring circuit according to a second control algorithm different from the first control algorithm.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the first memory is configured to store said second executable program.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 2 wherein:

said command signal includes said second executable program; and

,

the processor is configured to store the second executable program in the first memory.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 3 wherein the processor is configured to replace the first executable program in the first memory with the second executable program based on said command signal.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the monitoring network includes:

a mobile cellular communication device adapted to be carried by the associated human being monitored; and

,

a central monitoring station having a database storing said condition data and said second executable program.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1 wherein:

the processor is configured to generate version data based on a predetermined property of said first executable program

the transmitter is configured to transmit the version data from said housing; and

,

the monitoring system is configured to transmit said command signal based on a comparison between said version data received from the electronic monitoring circuit and a predetermined version data value stored in the monitoring network.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 6 wherein:

said command signal transmitted from the monitoring network to the electronic monitoring circuit includes said second executable program; and

,

the processor is configured to replace the first executable program in the first memory with the second executable program based on said command signal, and further being configured to execute the second executable program for controlling the electronic monitoring circuit according to said second control algorithm.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein the monitoring network includes:

a mobile cellular communication device adapted to be carried by the associated human being monitored; and

,

a central monitoring station having a database storing said condition data, said condition data, and said second executable program.

9. A bracelet device for use in a monitoring system for monitoring a condition of an associated human, the bracelet device comprising:

a housing including a base with i) a contact portion configured on a first side to engage skin of the associated human, and ii) a cavity portion having an opening on the first side, the opening selectively defining a closed sampling volume when the first side of the contact portion is held in contact with said skin of the associated human; and

,

an electronic monitoring circuit disposed in said housing, the electronic monitoring circuit including;

a first sensor disposed at said sampling volume for detecting a condition of said human and generating a first signal based on the detected condition;

a first memory storing a first executable program defining a first control algorithm;

a second memory storing data relating to said condition of the human being monitored;

a processor operatively coupled with the first sensor and with the first and second memories, the processor being configured to execute the first executable program for controlling the electronic monitoring circuit according to said first control algorithm to generate condition data based on said first signal and relating to the detected condition of the human being monitored and store the condition data in the second memory;

a transmitter operatively associated with the processor for selectively transmitting said condition data from the housing as a first transmitted signal; and

a receiver operatively associated with the processor for selectively receiving a command signal as a first received signal.

10. The bracelet device according to claim 9 wherein said cavity portion defines a closed sampling volume of about 1000 mm³.

11. The bracelet device according to claim 9 wherein said first sensor is held in a spaced relationship from said skin of the associated human by said cavity portion.

12. The bracelet device according to claim 11 wherein the first sensor is spaced from said skin of the associated human by about 5-15 mm.