Mesh network monitoring appliance

• US 8,103,333 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2009
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Bao Tran
• Inventors: Tran, Bao
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US12/426,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,011 Days
• Field of Search: 600/485, 600/509, 600/513, 600/528, 128/903
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0265 using electromagnetic means, e.g. electromagnetic flowmeter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0536 Impedance imaging, e.g. by tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 : for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 : Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 : Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 : for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 : Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 : Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 : using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 : Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 : Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 : Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 : Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 : Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 : Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 : Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 : Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 : Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 : Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 : Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 : Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 : Ear lobe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 : mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 : Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 : using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 : involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 : using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 : in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 : Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 : Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 : for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 : Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/52 : Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves image processing per se G06T
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 : Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 : involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 : Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 : delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A health care monitoring system for a person includes one or more wireless nodes forming a wireless mesh network to communicate data over the wireless mesh network to detect a heart attack or a stroke attack.

Claims

1. A heart monitoring system for a person, comprising:

one or more wireless nodes forming a wireless mesh network; and

a wearable appliance having a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with the one or more wireless nodes; and

a sensor positioned near a heart or a brain to detect heart attack or stroke attack, respectively, the sensor coupled to the wireless transceiver to communicate data over the wireless mesh network.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising an accelerometer to detect a dangerous condition and to generate a warning when the dangerous condition is detected.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a sound transducer coupled to the wireless transceiver to communicate audio over a plain old telephone service (POTS) network and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) network through the mesh network.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising one of:

EEG detector, EKG detector, ECG detector, electromagnetic detector, ultrasonic detector, optical detector, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) recognizer, a dynamic time warp (DTW) recognizer, a neural network, a fuzzy logic engine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance monitors patient movement.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising an in-door positioning system coupled to one or more mesh network appliances to provide location information.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a call center coupled to the appliance to provide a human response.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a web server coupled to the mesh network and to the POTS to provide information to an authorized remote user.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a wireless router coupled to the mesh network and wherein the wireless router comprises one of:

802.11 router, 802.16 router, WiFi router, WiMAX router, Bluetooth router, X10 router.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising a mesh network appliance coupled to a power line to communicate X10 data to and from the mesh network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance transmits and receives voice from the person over the mesh network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is used to determine one of:

total body water, compartmentalization of body fluids, cardiac monitoring, blood flow, skinfold thickness, dehydration, blood loss, wound monitoring, ulcer detection, deep vein thrombosis, hypovolemia, hemorrhage, blood loss.

13. The system of claim 1, comprising a patch having a bioelectric impedance (BI) sensor in communication with the wireless transceiver.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance transmits and receives voice from the person over the mesh network to one of:

a doctor, a nurse, a medical assistant, a caregiver, an emergency response unit, a family member.

15. The system of claim 1, comprising code to store and analyze patient information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the patient information includes medicine taking habits, eating and drinking habits, sleeping habits, or excise habits.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a patient interface for accessing information including:

a touch screen;

voice-activated text reading; and

one touch telephone dialing.

18. The system of claim 1, comprising a patch having one or more sensors in communication with the wireless mesh network.

19. A system to monitor a patient, comprising:

one or more cameras positioned to capture three dimensional (3D) video of the patient; and

a server coupled to the one or more cameras, the server executing code to detect a dangerous condition for the patient based on the 3D video and allow a remote third party to view images of the patient when the dangerous condition is detected; and

wherein the server correlates one or more calibration sheets to define 3D coordinates as reference points.

20. A monitoring system, comprising:

one or more wireless nodes; and

a wearable appliance having a sound transducer coupled to a person and to the wireless nodes to provide communication over a telephone network; and

a sensor coupled to the wireless nodes and to the person'"'"'s skin to determine heart attack or stroke attack.