Interface for two-part wearable patient monitoring device

• US 10,463,253 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Vartiovaara, Ville Petteri
• Primary Examiner(s): Mallari, Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tan, Tho Q
• Application Number:
  US15/153,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• 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

Abstract

A two part patient monitoring device includes an activator module and a sensor device. The activator module includes a non-galvanic data port that creates a communication path with a non-galvanic data port on the sensor device. The activator module includes power contact pads that are each at least partially surrounded by a bias ring. A bias voltage is applied to the bias rings and a processor or circuit in the activator module monitors the voltage on the bias ring to detect a leakage current. The sensor module includes power contact pins that engage the power contact pads to transfer power from the activator module to the sensor device. Each of the contact pins are surrounded by a seal member such that the connection between the power contact pins and the power contact pads is protected from debris and/or moisture.

Claims

1. A two part patient monitoring device, comprising:

an activator module including at least one power contact pad, a first optical data port and an internal battery, wherein the activator module further comprises a bias ring at least partially surrounding the power contact pad, wherein a bias voltage is applied to the bias ring; and

a sensor device that physically connects to the activator module to create the patient monitoring device, wherein the sensor device includes a sensor, at least one power contact pin that engages the at least one power contact pad, a second optical data port that communicates with the first optical data port and seal member that surrounds the power contact pad and the power contact pin when the sensor device is connected to the activator module.

2. The patient monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the activator module includes two power contact pads and the sensor device includes two power contact pins, wherein one of the seal members surrounds each of the power contact pins.

3. The patient monitoring device of claim 2 wherein the two power contact pads are mounted to a contact surface, wherein the seal members engage the contact surface.

4. The patient monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the activator module monitors the bias voltage applied to the bias ring.

5. The patient monitoring device of claim 1 the activator module includes a circuit that monitors the bias voltage applied to the bias ring.

7. The two part patient monitoring device of claim 4 wherein the processor of the activator module automatically detects the type of the sensor device, such as a pulse oximeter sensor device, a temperature sensor device, a blood pressure sensor device, a electrocardiograph (ECG) sensor device, or a electroencephalograph (EEG) sensor device;

and

wherein the activator module further comprises a display that automatically displays a connected device indicator to indicated whether the generic activator device is paired with the pulse oximeter sensor device, the temperature sensor device, the blood pressure sensor device, the ECG sensor device, or the EEG sensor device.

6. The patient monitoring device 4 wherein the activator module includes a processor that controls the bias voltage applied to the bias ring.

8. A two part patient monitoring device, comprising:

an activator module including at least one power contact pad, a first optical data port, a bias ring at least partially surrounding the power contact pad, and an internal battery; and

a sensor device that physically connects to the activator module to create the patient monitoring device, wherein the sensor device includes a sensor, at least one power contact pin that engages the at least one power contact pad and a second optical data port that communicates with the first optical data port,

wherein a bias voltage is applied to the bias ring and the activator module monitors the bias voltage applied to the bias ring.

9. The patient monitoring device of claim 8 wherein the activator module includes a circuit that monitors the bias voltage applied to the bias ring.

10. The patient monitoring device of claim 8 wherein the activator module includes a processor that controls the bias voltage applied to the bias ring.

11. The patient monitoring device of claim 8 wherein the activator module include two power contact pads and the sensor device includes two power contact pins, wherein a bias ring at least partially surrounds each of the power contact pads.

12. The patient monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the processor monitors for a change in the bias voltage on either of the bias rings.

13. The two part patient monitoring device of claim 8 wherein the processor of the activator module automatically detects the type of the sensor device, such as a pulse oximeter sensor device, a temperature sensor device, a blood pressure sensor device, a electrocardiograph (ECG) sensor device, or a electroencephalograph (EEG) sensor device;

and

wherein the activator module further comprises a display that automatically displays a connected device indicator to indicated whether the generic activator device is paired with the pulse oximeter sensor device, the temperature sensor device, the blood pressure sensor device, the ECG sensor device, or the EEG sensor device.

14. A two part patient monitoring device, comprising:

an activator module including at least two power contact pads, a first optical data port, at least two bias rings each at least partially surrounding one of the power contact pads, a processor and an internal battery; and

a sensor device that physically connects to the activator module to create the patient monitoring device, wherein the sensor device includes a sensor, at least two power contact pins that each engage one of the power contact pads, a second optical data port that communicates with the first optical data port and seal member that surrounds each of the power contact pads and the power contact pins when the sensor device is connected to the activator module,

wherein a bias voltage is applied to each of the bias rings and the processor monitors the bias voltage applied to the bias rings.

15. The patient monitoring device of claim 14 wherein the two power contact pads are mounted to a contact surface, wherein the seal members each engage the contact surface.

16. The two part patient monitoring device of claim 14 wherein the processor of the activator module automatically detects the type of the sensor device, such as a pulse oximeter sensor device, a temperature sensor device, a blood pressure sensor device, a electrocardiograph (ECG) sensor device, or a electroencephalograph (EEG) sensor device;

and

wherein the activator module further comprises a display that automatically displays a connected device indicator to indicated whether the generic activator device is paired with the pulse oximeter sensor device, the temperature sensor device, the blood pressure sensor device, the ECG sensor device, or the EEG sensor device.

17. The two part patient monitoring device of claim 14 further comprising a first identification device in the activator module and a second identification device in the sensor device, wherein the first and second identification devices communication with each other when the activator module is connected to the sensor device.

18. The two part patient monitoring device of claim 14 wherein the activator module is receivable in the sensor device or another sensor device.