Miniature wireless biomedical telemetry device

• US 9,474,461 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Fisher, John H., Lehmkuhle, Mark J., Dudek, F. Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESSERSMITH, ERIC J
• Application Number:
  US12/681,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,945 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600544-545, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy

Abstract

Provided herein are embodiments of a miniature wireless biomedical telemetry device along with systems and methods for its use. A miniature amplifier and transmitter allow recording of physiological signals from small animals, such as rats, mice and birds, as well as humans. The device is positioned externally and is easily replaceable, as is its battery, so surgical complications and other problem problems are minimized.

Claims

1. A wireless biomedical telemetry system comprising:

at least one detector for attachment to a living subject, the living subject movable in multiple directions relative to or on a substrate within a preselected volume, said at least one detector being configured to detect a signal generated by said living subject and to generate a detector signal reflective of the signals detected; and

a telemetry device for attachment to and external to said living subject, said telemetry device including a power source and a wireless transmitter, said wireless transmitter being operably connected to said power source to receive power therefrom and to said at least one detector to receive said detector signal, and said wireless transmitter being configured to generate a modulated signal based on said detector signal;

a transmitting antenna connected to said wireless transmitter for receiving the modulated signal, said transmitting antenna with said living subject and the free space in said volume configured to wirelessly transmit said modulated signal through said free space said transmitting antenna being movable with said living subject relative to or on said substrate; and

a receiving antenna sized and fixedly positioned away from said living subject to effect a capacitive coupling with said transmitting antenna to receive through said free space said modulated signal therefrom;

a receiver connected to said receiving antenna and configured to demodulate said modulated signal to form receiving signals reflective of the signals generated by said living subject; and

a computer connected to said receiver configured to receive and selectively store data reflective of said signals generated by said living subject and display images reflective of said signals generated by said living subject.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector includes an electrode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises one or more photodiodes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals generated by said living subject includes at least one of an EEG, an ECG, blood pressure, temperature and blood pressure signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the living subject is one of a rat, a mouse, a bird, and a human.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving antenna is fixedly positioned.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a ground plane and a capacitive isolation shield located between said receiving antenna and the ground plane, wherein the receiving antenna is planar and the distance between the receiving antenna and the ground plane is controlled.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one detector, said telemetry device and said transmitting antenna are physically associated with a circuit board sized smaller than the head of said living subject, and wherein the circuit board includes a substrate that is flexible to conform to the living subject.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said flexible circuit board is sized for attachment to an area of the living subject that is less than about 2 square centimeters.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said free space is filled with a gas.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said flexible circuit board, said detector, said telemetry device and said transmitting antenna together weigh less than about 2 grams.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said gas is air.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said flexible circuit board, said detector, said telemetry device and said transmitting antenna together weigh less than about 1 gram.

14. A method of wireless biomedical telemetry comprising:

providing a detector configured for detecting at least one signal generated by a living subject variably spaced from or on a substrate within a volume;

attaching said detector to said living subject;

operating said detector to generate a detector signal reflective of said signals detected as said living subjects moves within said volume;

providing and operating a telemetry device for attachment to and external to said living subject, said telemetry device including a power source, a wireless transmitter and an antenna,

said wireless transmitter being operably connected to said power source to receive power therefrom and to said detector, said wireless transmitter being operable to generate a modulated signal reflective of said detector signal, said antenna being connected to said wireless transmitter for receiving said modulated signal, and said antenna being movable in multiple directions relative to and on said substrate with said living subject; and

providing a receiving antenna capacitively coupled with said living subject and transmitter to receive said wireless transmission from said transmitting antenna, said receiving antenna being spaced from said living subject and connected to a receiver; and

providing a receiver and connecting said receiver to said receiving antenna to receive said wireless transmission therefrom; and

operating said receiver to demodulate said wireless transmission to form receiving signal reflective of the signal generated by said living subject.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detector includes an electrode.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a computer having a computer readable memory, said computer being connected to receive said receiving signals and storing in computer-readable memory at least one of the detector signal, the modulated signal and the demodulated signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the power source comprises one or more photodiodes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the signals generated by said living subject include at least one of EEG, ECG, blood pressure, temperature and blood pressure signals.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the living subject is one of a bird, a human, a rat and a mouse.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving antenna is fixed relative to said living subject.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving antenna is planar and further comprises a ground plane and a capacitive isolation shield located between said receiving antenna and the ground plane and the distance between the receiving antenna and the ground plane is controlled.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one detector, the telemetry device and the transmitting antenna are physically associated with a circuit board, and wherein the circuit board includes a substrate that is flexible to conform to the living subject and wherein said circuit board is sized to be less than 2 square centimeters and to be less than 2 grams in weight.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing an adhesive for adhesively attaching the flexible circuit board to the living subject.

24. A wireless biomedical telemetry system for use with a living subject, said biomedical telemetry system comprising:

an enclosure defining a volume and having at least one substrate, said volume being sized to contain a living subject variably spaced from or on said substrate, said enclosure including a capacitive isolation shield proximate said substrate;

detector configured for attachment external to said living subject, said detector being configured to detect a signal generated by said living subject and to generate a detector signal reflective of the signal detected;

a circuit board for attachment proximate to said detector, said circuit board including a power source, telemetry device including a power source and a wireless transmitter mechanically attached to a substrate to form a circuit board, said wireless transmitter being connected to said power source to receive power therefrom, and said wireless transmitter being connected to each of said at least one detectors to receive said detector signal therefrom and to generate a modulated signal based on said detector signal;

a transmitting antenna connected to said wireless transmitter for receiving the modulated signal, said transmitting antenna forming with said living subject a capacitor for wireless capacitive coupling to effect wireless transmission through a gas of said modulated signal, said first transmitting antenna being movable with said living subject in multiple directions relative to said substrate; and

a receiving antenna sized and formed to receive through said gas said modulated signal;

a receiver connected to said receiving antenna and configured to demodulate said modulated signal to form receiving signals reflective of the signals generated by said living subject; and

a computer connected to said receiver to receive and selectively store data reflective of said signals generated by said living subject and display images reflective of said signals generated by said living subject.