Health monitoring appliance

• US 9,801,542 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Tran, Bao, Tran, Ha
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US14/941,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0233 Optical standards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• 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 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 : for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 : for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/201 : Assessing renal or kidney functions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 : for electromyography [EMG]
• 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 5/389 : Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 : Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 : Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 : Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 : Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 : specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 : Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 : Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7214 : using signal cancellation, e.g. based on input of two identical physiological sensors spaced apart, or based on two signals derived from the same sensor, for different optical wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 : Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 : using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 : involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 : Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 : Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 : Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 : Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 : Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 : Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A heart monitoring system for a person includes one or more wireless nodes; and wearable appliance in communication with the one or more wireless nodes, the appliance monitoring vital signs.

Claims

1. A wearable device for use in a wireless body area network which comprises one or more additional devices, wherein said network is configured as a mesh network and said wearable device and said one or more additional devices are placed on one or more parts of a user'"'"'s body and each of said wearable device and said one or more additional devices each comprise a sensor for monitoring a vital parameter related to the health of the user, and wherein at least one of said sensors is woven into a garment worn by the user and coupled to the network using optical fibers.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 wherein said body area network operates on an assigned medical frequency band and one or more of said sensors can detect a vital health parameter indicating the user'"'"'s need for assistance with respect to the vital health parameter.

3. The wearable device of claim 2 further comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating data indicative of the user'"'"'s need for assistance to a receiver located outside of the wireless body area network.

4. The wearable device of claim 3 wherein said wireless transceiver communicates over cell phone networks.

5. The wearable device of claim 3 wherein said wireless transceiver communicates over a WLAN.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the vital parameter is cerebrovascular in nature.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein the vital parameter is cardiovascular in nature.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein the vital parameter is indicative of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

9. The device of claim 2 wherein a vital parameter is glucose level.

10. The device of claim 2 wherein a vital parameter is arterial blood pressure.

11. The device of claim 2 wherein a vital parameter is a body motion of the user.

12. The device of claim 2 wherein a vital parameter is a sudden change in activity.

13. A method for maintaining wellness in a user comprising the following steps:

a. using one or more sensors physically coupled to the user and connected to a network, to monitor one or more vital parameters, providing data representative of the user'"'"'s physical condition;

b. analyzing the one or more vital parameters using a statistical analyzer, trained with training data representing physiological conditions determined to be undesirable for the user to analyze the vital parameters to determine if the physiological conditions are undesirable; and

c. generating a warning indication when the user'"'"'s physical condition is undesirable.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a vital parameter is arterial blood pressure.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein a vital parameter is body motion patterns of the user.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein a vital parameter is a sudden change in activity.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a microphone and speaker which are easily accessible to the user and one of the transceivers.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein one or more of the sensors detects bioelectrical impedance.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein one or more of the sensors detects cardiac arrhythmia.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the mesh network also includes a wireless connection to a healthcare provider.

20. A method for remotely monitoring a user'"'"'s health comprising the steps of:

a. using one or more sensors, physically coupled to a user and connected to a mesh body area network, to monitor one or more vital parameters related to the user'"'"'s health;

b. making a microphone and a speaker connected to the mesh network accessible to the user;

c. using a statistical analyzer trained with training data representing physiological conditions determined to be undesirable for the user, to analyze the vital parameters to determine if the physiological conditions are undesirable; and

d. using a transceiver coupled to the one or more sensors and the microphone to communicate the vital parameters to a remotely located healthcare provider when the user'"'"'s physiological conditions are undesirable.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the healthcare provider is a pharmacy.

23. A method for maintaining wellness in a user comprising the following steps:

a. using one or more sensors physically coupled to the user and connected to a mesh network, to monitor one or more behaviors affecting the user'"'"'s health,

b. analyzing the one or more behaviors while the user participates in day to day activities and providing data representative of the user'"'"'s behavior;

c. using a statistical analyzer trained with training data representing behavioral conditions determined to be undesirable for the user to analyze the vital parameters to determine if the behavioral conditions are undesirable and

d. generating a warning indication when the user'"'"'s behavior is undesirable.

24. A system for monitoring the physical condition of a user'"'"'s heart comprising:

a. one or more sensors for sensing one or more vital parameters related to the user'"'"'s cardiovascular condition wherein at least one of the sensors is positioned on the user'"'"'s wrist;

b. one or more transceivers each respectively coupled with a sensor to form one or more wireless nodes;

wherein said nodes are connected together as a mesh network; and

c. a statistical analyzer trained with training data representing cardiovascular conditions determined to be undesirable for the user.