Wireless physiology monitor

• US 8,994,536 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Margon, Tom Mathai
• Original Assignee: Xanthia Global Limited
• Inventors: Margon, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US13/247,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/572.4
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• 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 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations

Abstract

The present invention provides a new non-invasive technique for organ, e.g., heart and lung, monitoring. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a subject is radiated with a non-harmful and relatively low power electromagnetic source diagnostic signal normally associated with a communications protocol such as, but not limited to a version of the IEEE 802.11(x) family of protocols in the 2.4, 3.6, or 5 GHz spectrum bands. After passing through the patient, a return signal is acquired from the patient and compared to the original source signal. The differences between the source and modified signals are then analyzed to monitor the heart, e.g., measure heart rate and detect defects within the heart, and the lung. For example, using Doppler Effect principles, heart rate and motion can be measured from the differences in frequency, phase, and/or wavelength between the source signal and the modified signal reflected back from the heart moving within the patient.

Claims

1. A method for non-invasive physiology monitoring of a living subject, the method implemented on a physiology monitoring device and comprising the steps of:

acquiring, at the physiology monitoring device, a first modulated signal associated with an IEEE 802.11(x) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) communications protocol, wherein the first modulated signal is generated by a source other than the physiology monitoring device and has passed through tissue of the living subject,

combining, at the physiology monitoring device, the first modulated signal with itself to form a combined signal, and

processing, at the physiology monitoring device, the combined signal to monitor a physiological function of an organ of the living subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the organ is a moving organ and the second modulated signal comprises the first modulated signal having undergone a Doppler effect due to the moving organ of the living subject.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined signal comprises a bandwidth that is substantially double of the first modulated signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological function is selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate;

respiratory or pulmonary rate;

ventricular contraction;

ventricular relaxation;

atrial contraction;

atrial relaxation;

arrhythmia; and

a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting, at the physiology monitoring device, movement of the living subject.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the movement comprises a fall.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of recording, at the physiology monitoring device, the monitored physiological function upon detection of the movement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing comprises extracting deviations from randomness in the combined signal.

9. A non-invasive system for physiology monitoring of a living subject comprising:

a mixer for receiving a modulated signal associated with an IEEE 802.11(x) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) communications protocol from a remote source and having passed through tissue of the living subject, wherein an output signal is generated by the mixer, wherein the output signal comprises the modulated signal combined with itself,

a filter coupled to the mixer for receiving the output signal, and

circuitry to determine and monitor a physiological function of an organ of the living subject, wherein the circuitry processes the output signal.

10. The system for physiology monitoring of claim 9, wherein the output signal comprises a bandwidth that is substantially double of the modulated signal.

11. The system for physiology monitoring of claim 9, wherein the modulated signal is attributed to a Doppler effect reflected from the organ of the living subject.

12. The system for physiology monitoring of claim 9, wherein the circuitry comprises a digital signal processing unit to measure, convert and analyze the output signal for determining and monitoring a physiological function of an organ of the living subject.

13. The system for physiology monitoring of claim 9, wherein the remote source is an IEEE 802.11(x) access point.

14. The system for physiology monitoring of claim 9, wherein the filter comprises a low pass filter or a bandpass filter.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the circuitry processes the output signal to extract deviations from randomness in the output signal.