Apparatus and method for simultaneously measuring bio signals

• US 7,758,513 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung-ho, Kim, Youn-ho, Kim, Hong-sig, Bae, Sang-kon
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Porter, Jr.; Gary A
• Application Number:
  US11/090,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 607/18, 600/509, 600/510, 600/513, 600/554, 600/306, 600/319, 600/323, 600/324, 600/326, 600/334, 600/336, 600/412, 600/455, 600/456, 600/465, 600/468, 600/474, 600/483, 600/484, 600/529, 600/544, 600/546
• US Class Current: 600/554
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat

Abstract

An apparatus and method for simultaneously measuring at least two different bio signals without interference are provided. The apparatus includes a stimulus signal generating unit generating the stimulus signal to be applied to a human body, a sensing unit contacting the human body, including a plurality of electrodes to which the stimulus signal is applied and from which at least one intermediate signal containing the first and second bio signals is detected, configured to share at least one of the plurality of electrodes to apply the stimulus signal or to detect each intermediate signal, and a signal acquisition unit separating and acquiring the first and second bio signals from each intermediate signal detected from the sensing unit.

Claims

1. A bio signal measurement apparatus for simultaneously measuring at least two bio signals generated by a human body, the bio signal measurement apparatus comprising:

a stimulus signal generating unit configured to generate a stimulus signal to be applied to the human body;

a sensing unit configured to contact the human body, wherein the sensing unit includes a plurality of electrodes to which the stimulus signal is applied and which plurality of the electrodes are configured to detect signals from the human body that occur simultaneously, wherein the signals comprise a first bio signal and a second bio signal included in at least one intermediate signal,

wherein the first bio signal is generated by the human body in response to the stimulus signal applied to the human body, and the second bio signal is naturally generated by the human body, wherein the sensing unit is configured to share at least one of the plurality of electrodes to apply the stimulus signal to the human body and to detect the at least one intermediate signal including the first bio signal and the second bio signal;

a signal acquisition unit configured to acquire the detected at least one intermediate signal and to separate the first bio signal and the second bio signal from the at least one intermediate signal detected from the sensing unit,

a first temporal separating unit configured to operate in response to a control signal and configured to apply the stimulus signal to the human body via the sensing unit in a first interval of a sampling period of a pulse signal for detecting the signals from the human body;

a second temporal separating unit configured to operate in response to the control signal and configured to provide a first intermediate signal detected from the sensing unit in the first interval and a second intermediate signal detected from the sensing unit in a second interval of the sampling period to the signal acquisition unit; and

a controller configured to generate the control signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal acquisition unit is configured to perform at least one of a temporal separation processing and an electric separation processing with regard to the at least one intermediate signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each sampling period includes a third interval for discharging, the third interval interposed between the first interval and the second interval.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a resistor configured to externally discharge the stimulus signal remaining in the human body, in the third interval.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal acquisition unit comprises:

a first acquisition unit configured to obtain the first bio signal from the first intermediate signal detected from the sensing unit in the first interval; and

a second acquisition unit configured to obtain the second bio signal from the second intermediate signal detected from the sensing unit in the second interval.

6. The bio signal measurement apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first bio signal is one of a body fat signal, a skin resistance signal, and a blood flow amount signal, and the second bio signal is one of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, a body temperature signal, a respiration signal, and a pulse signal.

7. A bio signal measurement method of simultaneously measuring at least two bio signals generated by a human body, the bio signal measurement method comprising:

providing a sensing unit contacting the human body, the sensing unit including a plurality of electrodes to which a stimulus signal is applied and which plurality of the electrodes detect signals from the human body that occur simultaneously, wherein the signals comprise a first bio signal and a second bio signal included in at least one intermediate signal,

wherein the first bio signal is generated by the human body in response to the stimulus signal applied to the human body, and the second bio signal is naturally generated by the human body, wherein the at least one of the plurality of electrodes is shared to apply the stimulus signal to the human body and to detect the at least one intermediate signal including the first bio signal and the second bio signal;

generating the stimulus signal to be applied to the human body;

acquiring the detected at least one intermediate signal and separating the first bio signal and the second bio signal from the at least one intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit,

applying the stimulus signal to the human body via the sensing unit in a first interval of a sampling period of a pulse signal for detecting the signals from the human body, in response to a control signal; and

generating a first intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit in the first interval and a second intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit in a second interval of the sampling period, in response to the control signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the separating and acquiring the first and second bio signals comprises performing at least one of a temporal separation processing and an electric separation processing with regard to the at least one intermediate signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each sampling period includes a third interval for discharging, the third interval interposed between the first interval and the second interval.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the separating and acquiring the first and second bio signals comprises:

obtaining the first bio signal from the first intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit in the first interval; and

obtaining the second bio signal from the second intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit in the second interval.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the separating and acquiring the first and second bio signals comprises:

obtaining the first bio signal from a first intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit; and

electrically separating and obtaining the second bio signal from a second intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit.

12. The bio signal measurement method of claim 7, wherein the first bio signal is one of a body fat signal, a skin resistance signal, and a blood flow amount signal, and the second bio signal is one of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, a body temperature signal, a respiration signal, and a pulse signal.

13. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer-readable program for performing a bio signal measurement method of simultaneously measuring at least two bio signals generated by a human body, the method comprising:

providing a sensing unit contacting the human body, the sensing unit including a plurality of electrodes to which a stimulus signal is applied and which plurality of the electrodes detect signals from the human body that occur simultaneously, wherein the signals comprise a first bio signal and a second bio signal included in at least one intermediate signal,

wherein the first bio signal is generated by the human body in response to the stimulus signal applied to the human body, and the second bio signal is naturally generated by the human body, wherein the at least one of the plurality of electrodes is shared to apply the stimulus signal to the human body and to detect the at least one intermediate signal including the first bio signal and the second bio signal;

generating the stimulus signal to be applied to the human body;

acquiring the detected at least one intermediate signal and separating the first bio signal and the second bio signal from the at least one intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit,

applying the stimulus signal to the human body via the sensing unit in a first interval of a sampling period of a pulse signal for detecting the signals from the human body, in response to a control signal; and

providing a first intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit in the first interval and a second intermediate signal detected by the sensing unit in a second interval of the sampling period, in response to the control signal.

14. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the separating and acquiring the first and second bio signals comprises performing at least one of a temporal separation processing and an electric separation processing with regard to the at least one intermediate signal.

15. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the first bio signal is one of a body fat signal, a skin resistance signal, and a blood flow amount signal, and the second bio signal is one of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, a body temperature signal, a respiration signal, and a pulse signal.