Phone for use in health monitoring

• US 10,165,982 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanandco Limited
• Original Assignee: Sanandco Limited
• Inventors: Wijayaratna, Saneth, Pearson, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US15/119,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/066 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• 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: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A phone comprising: a phone body, at least one sensor on the phone body for measuring a vital sign of a user when the phone is held in use; means for converting the vital sign measurement into a voice-frequency band signal; and means for transmitting the voice-frequency band signal for use in monitoring the health of the user.

Claims

1. A phone comprising:

a phone body defining a handle and an earpiece;

a pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor positioned in a concave recess at least partially on a left side of the handle;

a first electrocardiogram electrode positioned on the handle;

a second electrocardiogram electrode positioned on the earpiece; and

means for transmitting electrocardiography measurements obtained using the first and second electrocardiogram electrodes and photo plethysmography measurements obtained using the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor for use in determining one or more of the pulse transmit time and blood pressure of a user based on the electrocardiography and photo plethysmography measurements.

2. The phone of claim 1, wherein the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor comprises an emitter configured to illuminate a thumb or finger of a user with light when the thumb or finger is positioned within the concave recess, and a detector configured to detect light from the emitter which has been reflected by the user'"'"'s thumb or finger, and wherein the phone is configured to provide an indication when an amount of light detected by the detector of the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor is outside a predefined range.

3. The phone of claim 1, wherein the phone is configured to provide an indication when there is insufficient contact between the first electrocardiogram electrode and a user'"'"'s hand when the phone is held in use.

4. The phone of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second electrocardiogram electrodes have a convex.

5. The phone of claim 1, wherein the phone comprises a temperature sensor positioned on the earpiece, and wherein the temperature sensor is encircled by the second electrocardiogram electrode.

6. The phone of claim 5, wherein the phone is configured to provide an indication when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is outside a predefined range.

7. The phone of claim 1, wherein the phone body comprises one or more markers configured to guide positioning of a user'"'"'s hand during use of the phone.

8. The phone of claim 1, wherein the phone comprises an earth electrode positioned on the handle of the phone body, the earth electrode configured to ground a user prior to electrodardiography measurements obtained using the first and second electrocardiogram electrodes.

9. A method of using the phone of claim 1, the method comprising:

obtaining electrocardiography measurements of a user using the first and second electrocardiogram electrodes, and photo plethysmography measurements of the user using the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor, when the phone is held in use; and

transmitting the electrocardiography measurements and the photo plethysmography measurements for use in determining one or more of the pulse transit time and blood pressure of the user based on the electrocardiography and photo plethysmography measurements.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer code configured to perform the method of claim 9.

11. The phone of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting are configured to transmit the electrocardiography and photo plethysmography measurements as a voice-frequency band signal.

12. A phone comprising:

a phone body defining a handle and an earpiece;

a pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor positioned in a concave recess at least partially on a left side of the handle;

a first electrocardiogram electrode positioned on the handle;

a second electrocardiogram electrode positioned on the earpiece;

means for determining one or more of the pulse transit time and blood pressure of a user based on electrocardiography measurements obtained using the first and second electrocardiogram electrodes and photo plethysmography measurements obtained using the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor when the phone is held in use; and

means for transmitting one or more of the pulse transmit time and blood pressure for use in monitoring the health of the user.

13. The phone of claim 12, wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit one or more of the pulse transit time and blood pressure as a voice-frequency band signal.

14. A method of using the phone of claim 12, the method comprising:

obtaining electrocardiography measurements of a user using the first and second electrocardiogram electrodes, and photo plethysmography measurements of the user using the pulse oximeter oxygen saturation sensor, when the phone is held in use;

determining one or more of the pulse transit time and blood pressure of the user based on the obtained electrocardiography and photo plethysmography measurements; and

transmitting one or more of the pulse transit time and blood pressure for use in monitoring the health of the user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer code configured to perform the method of claim 14.