Monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user's heart rate and/or heart rate variation; wristwatch comprising such a monitoring apparatus
First Claim
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1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, the apparatus comprising:
- an oscillator which generates an oscillating signal;
first and second capacitor electrodes, the first electrode is connected to said oscillator, the capacitor electrodes being arranged to be mounted to capacitively couple with different surface parts of a blood carrying body part of a person, such that an electrical capacitance between the electrodes across the body part between the electrodes changes in response to blood pressure pulses of blood running through the capacitively coupled body part;
a data processor connected to said oscillator and said second electrode, the processor being programmed to determine a heart rate or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance of the capacitively coupled electrodes and body part; and
an output device connected to the processor to provide an auditory and/or visual output indicative of the heart rate or the heart rate variation.
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Abstract
A monitoring apparatus (4) monitors a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation. The apparatus includes a capacitor (22) which is positionable on or near a body part of a person, for example a person'"'"'s limb, for example an arm (3), such that an electrical capacitance of the capacitor (22) is influenced by blood pressure pulses of blood running through the body part. The apparatus (4) also includes a data processor (26) for determining the heart rate and/or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance of the capacitor (22).
26 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, the apparatus comprising:
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an oscillator which generates an oscillating signal; first and second capacitor electrodes, the first electrode is connected to said oscillator, the capacitor electrodes being arranged to be mounted to capacitively couple with different surface parts of a blood carrying body part of a person, such that an electrical capacitance between the electrodes across the body part between the electrodes changes in response to blood pressure pulses of blood running through the capacitively coupled body part; a data processor connected to said oscillator and said second electrode, the processor being programmed to determine a heart rate or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance of the capacitively coupled electrodes and body part; and an output device connected to the processor to provide an auditory and/or visual output indicative of the heart rate or the heart rate variation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, the method comprising:
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sending an oscillating signal between two capacitor electrodes which are adapted to be positioned adjacent to different surface parts of a blood conveying body part of a person, such that an electrical capacitance between the electrodes across a portion of the body part between the electrodes is influenced by blood pressure pulses of blood running through the body part; determining the heart rate and/or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance between the electrodes from the oscillating signal; and with an output device outputting an auditory and/or visual representation of the heart rate and/or the heart rate variation. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user'"'"'s heart rate and/or heart rate variation, the apparatus comprising:
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first and second capacitor electrodes mounted on a support structure which is arranged to electrically couple with a body part of a person which undergoes acceleration; an accelerometer mounted on the support structure which accelerometer is arranged to measure acceleration of the body part; a processor mounted to the support structure and connected with the capacitor electrodes and the accelerometer, the processor being programmed to; determine the heart rate and/or the heart rate variation from changes in capacitance across the first and second electrodes, the determined heart rate and/or heart rate variation being disturbed by the acceleration of the body part, estimate a disturbance value from an output of the accelerometer, the disturbance value being indicative of the disturbance to the heart rate and/or the heart rate variation attributable to the acceleration of the body part, and compensate the determined heart rate and/or heart rate variation for the acceleration of the body part. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification