Mobile communication device and other devices with cardiovascular monitoring capability

• US 9,451,895 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gal Markel
• Original Assignee: Gal Markel
• Inventors: Markel, Gal
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bays, Pamela M
• Application Number:
  US11/492,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,717 Days
• Field of Search: 600/509, 600/520, 600/532, 600/508, 600/516, 600/517, 600/518, 600/300, 600/301, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/251 Means for maintaining electrode contact with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm

Abstract

A general-purpose mobile communication device, general-purpose computer user-interface device, and other non-health-related electronic devices with cardiovascular monitoring capability. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise a general-purpose mobile communication device (e.g., a cellular telephone, portable email device, personal digital assistant, etc.) comprising a communication interface module adapted to communicate with a general-purpose communication network, and at least one module operational to acquire cardiac information from a user of the general-purpose mobile communication device. The general-purpose communication device may, for example, comprise a cardiac sensor (e.g., electrodes) disposed on the mobile communication device, which may be utilized to acquire cardiac information during use of the mobile communication device. Various aspects of the present invention may also comprise a non-health related electronic device (e.g., a general-purpose mobile communication device, general-purpose user-interface device for a general-purpose computer, gaming controller, etc.) that, during normal non-health-related utilization, acquire, analyze and/or communicate user health-related information.

Claims

1. A general-purpose mobile communication device (“

MCD”

) comprising;

a communication interface module adapted to communicate speech of a user over a communication network; and

at least one module operational to;

detect use of the MCD for a voice call using the communication network; and

in response to detecting use of the MCD for the voice call, initiate covert acquisition of cardiac information from the user of the MCD while the user is utilizing the MCD for the voice call, without initiation of said acquisition of cardiac information by the user, and without making the user aware of said acquisition of cardiac information.

2. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the MCD comprises a general-purpose cellular telephone.

3. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the MCD comprises a general-purpose mobile e-mail device.

4. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the MCD comprises:

a first electrode coupled to the at least one module; and

a second electrode coupled to the at least one module, and

wherein the at least one module is further operational to detect cardiac activity of a user of the MCD that is conductively coupled to the first and second electrodes.

5. The MCD of claim 4, wherein the first and second electrodes are placed on the MCD in a manner supporting contact with said first and second electrodes with different respective hands of the user.

6. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to interface with a cardiac sensor disposed on the MCD.

7. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to interface with a cardiac sensor separate from the MCD.

8. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to detect use of the MCD by, at least in part, operating to detect user contact with one or more electrodes.

9. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to periodically, at a regular period, transmit acquired cardiac information.

10. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to acquire cardiac information from a user of the MCD in response to a command from the user for the MCD to acquire the cardiac information.

11. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to provide results of cardiac information acquisition to a user of the MCD.

12. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is adapted to acquire cardiac information for a plurality of different users of the MCD, and to segment such acquired cardiac information according to user identity.

13. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a residual component of a cardiac signal to a residual component characteristic associated with a known cardiac pathology.

14. The MCD of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a trend between a plurality of cardiac signals to a trend associated with a known cardiac pathology.

15. A general-purpose mobile communication device (“

MCD”

) comprising;

a communication interface module adapted to communicate speech of a user over a communication network; and

at least one module operational to;

initiate covert acquisition of cardiac information from the user of the MCD in response to detection, by the MCD, that the user is utilizing the MCD for a voice call, without initiation of said acquisition of cardiac information by the user, and without making the user aware of said acquisition of cardiac information; and

analyze at least a portion of said cardiac information acquired from the user of the MCD in consideration of one or more known cardiac pathologies,

wherein the MCD comprises a cellular telephone, and the general purpose of the MCD is non-health-related.

16. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a primary component of a cardiac signal to a primary component characteristic associated with a known cardiac pathology.

17. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part:

determining a difference between a current cardiac signal and at least one previous cardiac signal; and

determining the existence of a cardiac pathology based, at least in part, on the determined difference.

18. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is further operational to generate an alert message based, at least in part, on a determined existence of a cardiac pathology by the MCD.

19. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operational to:

determine, based on said analysis of the MCD, whether to communicate acquired cardiac information; and

if it is determined to communicate the acquired cardiac information, then wirelessly communicate the acquired cardiac information.

20. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operational to determine, based on said analysis, a manner in which to wirelessly communicate acquired cardiac information.

21. The MCD of claim 20, wherein the at least one module is operational to determine to immediately wirelessly communicate acquired cardiac information when said analysis determines that a particular level of health concern exists.

22. The MCD of claim 20, wherein the at least one module is operational to determine to periodically communicate acquired cardiac information when said analysis determines that a particular level of health concern exists.

23. The MCD of claim 20, wherein the at least one module is operational to determine to not communicate acquired cardiac information when said analysis determines that a health condition of the user is normal.

24. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the MCD comprises a mobile email device.

25. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the MCD comprises a user interface device for a general-purpose computer.

26. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a residual component of a cardiac signal to a residual component characteristic associated with a known cardiac pathology.

27. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a trend between a plurality of cardiac signals to a trend associated with a known cardiac pathology.

28. The MCD of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is adapted to acquire cardiac information for a plurality of different users of the MCD, and to segment such acquired cardiac information according to user identity.

29. A general-purpose mobile communication device (“

MCD”

) comprising;

a cardiac sensor disposed on the MCD; and

at least one module operational to;

perform voice call communication with a general-purpose communication network;

detect use of the MCD for voice call communication using the communication network;

in response to detection of use of the MCD for the voice call communication, initiate use of the cardiac sensor to covertly acquire cardiac information from a user of the MCD, without direct initiation of acquisition of said cardiac information by the user, and without making the user aware of said acquisition of cardiac information; and

analyze at least a portion of the acquired cardiac information in consideration of one or more known cardiac pathologies,

wherein the MCD comprises a cellular telephone, and the general purpose of the MCD is non-health-related.

30. The MCD of claim 29, wherein the cardiac sensor comprises a first electrode and a second electrode.

31. The MCD of claim 30, wherein the first electrode is disposed on a main body portion of the MCD.

32. The MCD of claim 30, wherein the first electrode is disposed on a user interface portion of the MCD.

33. The MCD of claim 30, wherein the first electrode comprises a conductive metal surface.

34. The MCD of claim 30, wherein the first electrode comprises a conductive plastic surface.

35. The MCD of claim 30, wherein the MCD further comprises an indicium identifying the location and function of the first electrode.

36. The MCD of claim 30, wherein the MCD comprises no indicium identifying the location of the first electrode.

37. The MCD of claim 29, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a residual component of a cardiac signal to a residual component characteristic associated with a known cardiac pathology.

38. The MCD of claim 29, wherein the at least one module is operational to analyze the acquired cardiac information by, at least in part, comparing a trend between a plurality of cardiac signals to a trend associated with a known cardiac pathology.

39. The MCD of claim 29, wherein the at least one module is adapted to acquire cardiac information for a plurality of different users of the MCD, and to segment such acquired cardiac information according to user identity.