Wearable system for monitoring physiological signals

• US 8,708,923 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Turicchia, Lorenzo, Mandal, Soumyajit, Sarpeshkar, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US12/700,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 600/509, 600/508
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/045 Detection of Korotkoff sounds A61B5/0225 takes precedence; measuring blood pressure A61B5/021

Abstract

A wearable system for monitoring a plurality of physiological signals is provided. The wearable system includes at least one sensor producing the physiological signals associated with a patient. A processor unit receives the physiological signals from the at least one sensor. The processor unit analyzes the physiological signals to determine the occurrence of a triggered event and produces at least one output signal identifying the triggered event. A transmission unit receives the at least one output signal and prepares for transmission of the at least one output signal.

Claims

1. A wearable system for monitoring a plurality of physiological signals associated with a patient, comprising:

at least one sensor for producing said physiological signals;

a processor unit for receiving said physiological signals from said at least one sensor, said processor unit analyzing the physiological signals to determine the occurrence of a triggered event and producing at least one output signal identifying the triggered event, the processor unit operable for harvesting RF energy to provide power to the wearable system or only said at least one sensor, said processor unit comprising a plurality of independently programmable channels that generate a plurality of asynchronous spikes when said physiological signals cross a threshold voltage, said at least one output signal is produced after said channels are inputted into a logic array and an output of said array is multiplexed into a single signal; and

a transmission unit for receiving the at least one output signal and preparing for transmission of the at least one output signal.

2. The wearable system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of microphones.

3. The wearable system of claim 2, wherein one of the microphones monitors environmental sounds.

4. The wearable system of claim 3, wherein the environmental sounds indicate whether the patient is wearing the wearable system.

5. The wearable system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of transducers.

6. The wearable system of claim 1, wherein the physiological signals comprise a heartbeat.

7. The wearable system of claim 1, wherein the processor unit comprises an arrangement having a trigger module and digital processor.

8. A method for remotely monitoring a plurality of physiological signals using a wearable system comprising:

providing at least one sensor producing said physiological signals associated with a patient;

receiving said physiological signals from said at least one sensor using a processor unit, said processor unit analyzing the physiological signals to determine the occurrence of a triggered event and producing at least one output signal identifying the triggered even, the processor unit harvests RF energy for powering the wearable system or only said at least one sensor, said processor unit comprising a plurality of independently programmable channels that generate a plurality of asynchronous spikes when said physiological signals cross a threshold voltage, said at least one output signal is produced after inputting said channels into a logic array and multiplexing an output of said array into a single signal; and

sending the at least one output signal to a transmission unit for transmission.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of microphones.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the microphones monitors environmental sounds.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the environmental sounds indicate whether the patient is wearing the wearable system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of transducers.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the physiological signal comprise a heartbeat.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor unit comprises an arrangement having a trigger module and digital processor.