Heart monitoring system usable with a smartphone or computer

• US 8,509,882 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AliveCor Inc.
• Original Assignee: AliveCor Inc.
• Inventors: Albert, David, Satchwell, Bruce Richard, Barnett, Kim Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): So, Elizabeth K
• Application Number:
  US12/796,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

A personal monitoring device has a sensor assembly configured to sense physiological signals upon contact with a user'"'"'s skin. The sensor assembly produces electrical signals representing the sensed physiological signals. A converter assembly, integrated with, and electrically connected to the sensor assembly, converts the electrical signals generated by the sensor assembly to a frequency modulated physiological audio signal having a carrier frequency in the range of from about 6 kHz to about 20 kHz.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions capable of being executed by a smartphone, that when executed by the smartphone causes the smartphone to:

digitize and demodulate a frequency modulated ECG acoustic signal having a carrier frequency in the range of from about 6 kHz to about 20 kHz received from a built-in microphone of the smartphone to produce real time demodulated digital ECG data, and

to display on a display screen of the smartphone information about the real-time ECG signal represented by the demodulated digital ECG data.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to record real-time information from a GPS and/or accelerometer in the smartphone.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to record spoken voice messages simultaneously with the real-time demodulated digital ECG data.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to calculate and display in real-time, a heart rate represented by the frequency modulated ECG acoustic signal.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to process the demodulated digital ECG data to identify the occurrence of an arrhythmia or other abnormality.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to display a warning at the occurrence of an arrhythmia or other abnormality.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to store the demodulated digital ECG data in a memory of the smartphone for later retrieval.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to retrieve and transmit, upon demand, the stored demodulated digital ECG data to a web server via an internet connection on the smartphone.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to record spoken voice messages simultaneously with the demodulated digital ECG data, and to transmit the spoken voice messages with the demodulated digital ECG data to the web server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to transmit the demodulated digital ECG data to a web server in real-time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to record spoken voice messages simultaneously with the demodulated digital ECG data, and to transmit the spoken voice messages with the demodulated digital ECG data to the web server.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to select the appropriate acoustic input and sample the frequency modulated ECG acoustic signal.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the smartphone, further causes the smartphone to sample the frequency modulated ECG acoustic signal at a sample rate at 44 kHz.