Systems and methods for networked wearable medical sensors

• US 8,588,284 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Adeptence, LLC
• Inventors: Lakkis, Ismail, Law, Hock
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SIU M
• Application Number:
  US13/151,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 375/316, 375/295, 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375/354, 375/356, 375/359, 375/362, 375/363, 375/364, 375/365, 375/366, 375/367, 375/368
• US Class Current: 375/220
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• 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 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• 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 5/02055 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 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others

Abstract

A medical sensor system comprises a gateway comprising a wideband receiver and a narrow band transmitter, the each gateway configured to receive a wideband positioning frame using the wideband receiver from one or more wearable sensors and to transmit acknowledgement frames using the narrow band transmitter that include timing and control data for use by the sensors to establish timing for transmission of the positioning frame; and at least one wearable sensor comprising a wideband transmitter and a narrow band receiver, the sensor configured to transmit a sensor data frame to the gateway using the wideband transmitter and to receive an acknowledgement frame from the gateway using the narrow band receiver, extract timing and control information from the frame, and adjust the timing and synchronization of the wideband transmitter using the timing and control information.

Claims

1. A medical sensor system comprising:

a gateway comprising a wideband receiver and a narrow band transmitter, the gateway configured to receive a wideband positioning frame using the wideband receiver from one or more wearable sensors and to transmit acknowledgement frames using the narrow band transmitter that include timing and control information for use by the one or more wearable sensors to establish timing for transmission of the positioning frame; and

at least one of the one or more wearable sensors comprising a wideband transmitter and a narrow band receiver, the at least one wearable sensor configured to transmit a sensor data frame to the gateway using the wideband transmitter and to receive the acknowledgement frame from the gateway using the narrow band receiver, extract the timing and control information from the acknowledgment frame, and adjust timing and synchronization of the wideband transmitter using the timing and control information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the narrow band transmitter and the narrow band receiver are configured to operate in the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the narrow band transmitter and the narrow band receiver are configured to operate at about 2.45 GHz.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wideband receiver and the wideband transmitter are configured to operate in the Ultra Wideband (UWB) spectrum.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to transmit, using the narrow band transmitter, the timing and control information for the wideband transmitter operation.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one wearable sensor is configured to receive the timing and control information, synchronize the wideband transmitter and transmit the positioning frame.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the sensor data frame and send information included in the sensor data frame to a remote location.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one wearable sensor uses a superframe to communicate with the gateway via the wideband transmitter, and wherein the timing and control information includes super frame information including the start time of the superframe.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wearable sensor is configured to turn on the wideband transmitter for a short duration in order to transmit the positioning frame and then turn the wideband transmitter off.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one wearable sensor is further configure to then turn the narrow band receiver on for short period in order to receive the acknowledgement frame form the gateway and then turn the narrow band receiver off.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one wearable sensor is configured to attempt re-transmission of the positioning frame when it does not receive an acknowledgement in a certain period of time.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wearable sensor is a temperature sensor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wearable sensor is a UWB MIR imaging sensor.