Telemetric health monitoring devices and system

• US 8,604,923 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Victor Rivas Alvarez
• Original Assignee: Victor Rivas Alvarez
• Inventors: Rivas Alvarez, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/460,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/870.16, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R

Abstract

A wrist watch receives local measurements and remote instructions and provides reports of measurements to remote processors for review by physicians. Chest straps, pressure cuffs and onboard sensors provide information. The wrist watch, chest strap and cuff are inductively charged. Wrist watches, straps, cuffs, sensors and chargers are distributed with no or low costs to encourage use. Patient'"'"'s health and public health are assessed economically without time and cost consuming travel and office visits.

Claims

1. A first telemetric wrist-worn accessory comprising a strap and a wrist watch, wherein the wrist watch has an onboard sensor, a short range receiver, a long range receiver, a long range transmitter, a short range transmitter and a programmable microcomputer,

wherein the strap holds the wrist watch, sensor, receivers, transmitters and microcomputer on a wrist of a single user,

wherein the wrist watch is a conventional digital or analog time piece,

wherein the short range receiver receives low power short range signals from transmitters of a second telemetric sensor device nearby, wherein the second device is worn separately by the single user,

wherein the long range receiver receives radio wave signals from a remote processor via communication towers,

wherein the long range transmitter transmits radio wave signals to the remote processor via the communication towers,

wherein the short range transmitter transmits low power inquiry signals to receivers of the second telemetric sensor device,

wherein the short range transmitter is controlled by the programmable microcomputer to transmit the low power inquiry signals to receivers of the second telemetric device as a request for data from nearby sensors of the second telemetric sensor device, and wherein the programmable microcomputer extracts and stores data from the onboard sensor and from the low power short range signals from the nearby sensors via the transmitters of the second telemetric device, and

wherein the long range radio transmitter is controlled by the programmable microcomputer to transmit long range radio wave signals comprising the extracted data to the remote processor via the communication towers.

2. A health monitoring method comprising:

distributing first telemetric wrist watches, the wrist watches each having one or more receivers, transmitters, microcomputers and sensors;

wherein for each wrist watch,

registering coordinated identification of a wrist watch worn on a single user with user identification of the single user,

providing instructions from a medical office via a processor and transmission towers to the wrist watch, wherein the instructions request reading of nearby sensors in a second telemetric sensor device, wherein the second device is worn separately by the user,

processing the request in the microcomputer on the wrist watch,

sending short range inquiry signals to the nearby sensors in the second telemetric sensor device,

receiving data signals in the wrist watch from the nearby sensors in the second telemetric sensor device,

extracting data from the received data signals,

storing the extracted data from the received data signals in a memory connected to the one or more microcomputers, and

transmitting radio wave signals containing the extracted data from the memory and the wrist watch identification to the medical office via the transmission towers and the processor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

periodically sending the short range inquiry signals to the nearby sensors of the second telemetric sensor device and sending the data signals from the nearby sensors, and receiving, extracting and storing the data from the data signals in the memory connected to the one or more microcomputers,

periodically transmitting the extracted data from the memory and the wrist watch identification to the processor, and storing the data in memory connected to the processor.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically sending the extracted data from the memory connected to the processor to the medical office for review and study.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

comparing the extracted data from the memory connected to the processor with in-range vital sign data, and reporting out-of-range data to the medical office.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the extracted data stored in the memory connected to the microcomputers with in-range vital sign data, and reporting out-of-range data to the medical office via the transmission towers and the processor.

7. A health monitoring method comprising:

distributing first telemetric wrist watches, the wrist watches each having one or more receivers, transmitters, microcomputers and sensors;

wherein for each wrist watch,

registering user identification of a wrist watch with a single user, wherein the wrist watch is worn on the user,

controlling via the one or more microcomputers a short range transmitter to transmit low power inquiry signals to nearby sensors in a second telemetric sensor device, wherein the second telemetric sensor device is worn separately on the user,

receiving data signals in the wrist watch from the nearby sensors in the second telemetric sensor device,

extracting data from the received data signals with the one or more microcomputers,

storing the extracted data from the received data signals in memory connected to the one or more microcomputers, and

transmitting radio wave signals containing the extracted data from the memory and the wrist watch identification to transmission towers and a processor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

periodically sending the inquiry signals to the nearby sensors of the second telemetric sensor device, and sending the data signals from the nearby sensors and receiving, extracting and storing the data from the data signals in the memory connected to the one or more microcomputers,

periodically transmitting the extracted data from the memory and the wrist watch identification to the processor via the transmission towers, and storing the data in memory connected to the processor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

periodically sending the extracted data from the memory connected to the processor to a medical office for review and study.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the extracted data from the memory connected to the processor with in-range vital sign data, and reporting out-of-range data to a medical office.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the extracted data stored in the memory connected to the one or more microcomputers with in-range vital sign data, and reporting out-of-range data to the processor via the transmission towers.

12. The health monitoring method of claim 7, wherein the second telemetric sensor device is a body-attachable device which comprises one or more of a chest strap and a cuff, the or each body-attachable device having one or more sensors and a transmitter in communication with the same wrist watch of the same single user.

13. The health monitoring method of claim 12, further comprising inputting inductive charges for charging power supplies of the watch, the chest strap and the cuff.