Human safety indicator

• US 9,183,719 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safetyminded Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Safetyminded Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Gouge, Charles Mack, Armstrong, Kenneth, Ransbury, Terrance, Smith, Robert, Self, Darrel
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/594,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

A human safety system includes a circuit including a microcontroller and at least one power source; a probe in communication with the circuit; at least one use detector in communication with the circuit; and at least one alert indicator in communication with the circuit. A method of using a human safety device, the method includes initiating operation of the human safety device; arranging the human safety device in communication with skin; and monitoring the human safety device for alert indicators. A method of monitoring a user includes waking from sleep state; sensing at least one condition of the user; determining if the sensed condition is in a human condition; continuously monitoring the condition of the user; and, returning to sleep state when the user condition is outside of the human condition for an amount of time.

Claims

1. A human safety system comprising:

a circuit including a microcontroller and at least one power source;

a temperature probe in communication with the circuit, wherein the temperature probe includes a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is adapted to detect a temperature;

at least one use detector in communication with the circuit, wherein the at least one use detector includes a second sensor, wherein the second sensor is adapted to detect whether the human safety system is in use by a human, and wherein the use detector is adapted to activate the human safety system when use by a human is detected by the second sensor;

at least one alert indicator in communication with the circuit wherein the at least one alert indicator is adapted to signal an alert when the human safety system is activated by the at least one use detector and when a user temperature exceeds a maximum user temperature or falls below a minimum user temperature; and

an adhesive with a removable backing and a replaceable connection pad, the adhesive adapted to affix an enclosure of the human safety system to one of skin and a wearable article in thermal communication with the skin.

2. The human safety system of claim 1, wherein the temperature probe is an enclosure of the human safety system.

3. The human safety system of claim 2, further comprising a temperature couple proximate the temperature probe.

4. The human safety system of claim 3, wherein the first sensor is a temperature sensor in communication with the circuit.

5. The human safety system of claim 4, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor proximate the temperature couple.

6. The human safety system of claim 1, wherein at least one use detector is a push button.

7. The human safety system of claim 1, wherein at least one alert indicator is an audible alert indicator.

8. The human safety system of claim 7, wherein each audible alert indicator is a piezoelectric transducer.

9. The human safety system of claim 1, wherein at least one alert indicator is a visual alert indicator.

10. The human safety system of claim 9, wherein each visual alert indicator is an LED.

11. The human safety system of claim 9, further comprising a device cover.

12. A method of using a human safety device, the method comprising:

initialing operation of the human safety device, including activating a use detector;

programming a maximum user temperature and a minimum user temperature, wherein the maximum user temperature is less than a maximum human condition temperature and where the minimum user temperature is greater than a minimum human condition temperature;

arranging a portion of an enclosure of the human safety device in thermal communication with skin, wherein the portion of the enclosure includes a temperature probe, the temperature probe including a temperature sensor, wherein the arranging the portion of the enclosure of the human safety device in thermal communication with skin includes removing an adhesive backing from a replaceable connection pad and affixing the human safety device to one of skin and a wearable article;

monitoring the human safety device for alert indicators; and

signaling an alert if the user temperature exceeds the maximum user temperature or falls below the minimum user temperature.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of arranging a device cover over the human safety device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of replacing the connection pad with a new connection pad.

15. A method of monitoring temperature of a user, the method comprising:

activating a use detector;

starting an internal clock, the internal clock adapted to permanently activate a human safety device after a predetermined time period, wherein the human safety device includes an adhesive with a removable backing and a replaceable connection pad, the adhesive adapted to affix an enclosure of the human safety system to one of skin and a wearable article with a portion of the enclosure in thermal communication with the skin, waking from sleep state;

sensing temperature of the user;

determining if the user temperature is within a human condition temperature range, the human condition temperature range including a maximum human condition temperature and a minimum human condition;

continuously monitoring a user temperature such that an increase in the user temperature above a maximum user temperature or a decrease in the user temperature below a minimum user temperature-triggers an alert, wherein the maximum user temperature is less than the maximum human condition temperature and where the minimum user temperature is greater than the minimum human condition temperature; and

, returning to sleep state when the user temperature is above the maximum human condition temperature or below the minimum human condition temperature for a predetermined amount of time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of alerting the user if the sensed temperature is unsafe.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user is alerted if the sensed temperature is greater than a predetermined overheat temperature.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user is alerted until the temperature falls below a recovery temperature.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the human condition is defined between a predetermined minimum bio temperature and a predetermined maximum bio temperature.