Body fat analyzer with wireless remote

• US 20020087093A1
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fook Tin Plastic Factory, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fook Tin Plastic Factory, Ltd.
• Inventors: Chai, Sunny
• Application Number:
  US10/081,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087093A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition

Abstract

A bioelectrical-impedance-based body fat analyzer is provided that has a base unit for measuring weight and body impedance and a remote unit for inputting data and determining the body fat percent of a patient. The two units are connected via a wireless communications link formed by wireless ports on the base unit and the remote unit. There is further provided a method of operating a body fat analyzer having both base and remote units, comprising the steps of (a) measuring, at a base unit, an attribute of the patient'"'"'s body; (b) inputting, at a remote unit, patient data such as gender, height, and body type; (c) calculating, based upon both the data and the measured attribute, a value representing the body composition of such patient; and (d) outputting, at the remote unit, the calculated value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring the body composition of a patient, comprising:

(a) a base unit, having

(1) two or more electrodes, and

(2) a measurement circuit, configured to measure at least one attribute of the patient via said two or more electrodes;

(b) a remote unit, having

(1) a display, and

(2) at least one data input port configured to receive data concerning such patient;

(c) a wireless communication link connecting said base unit and said remote unit; and

(d) a microprocessor located within one of said base unit and said remote unit, wherein said microprocessor is configured;

(1) to receive at least one datum from said data input port,

(2) to calculate, based upon both an inputted datum and the measured attribute, a value representing the body composition of such patient, and

(3) to output the calculated value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said measurement circuit comprises:

(a) a current source; and

(b) a voltage detector;

and wherein said current source supplies electrical current through at least two of said two or more electrodes and causes a voltage to develop across at least two of said two or more electrodes, and said voltage detector detects the voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data input port is one of a keypad and a communication port.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication link comprises:

(a) a wireless transmitter located at said base unit; and

(b) a wireless receiver located at said remote unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said transmitter produces one of radio-frequency signals, infrared signals, and ultrasonic signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is handheld.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is one of a personal computer and a network server.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wireless communication link comprises:

(a) a wireless transmitter located at said base unit; and

(b) a wireless interface unit in communication with said remote unit and having a wireless receiver configured to receive signals from said wireless transmitter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said wireless interface unit further comprises a data converter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said data converter converts data that is received by said wireless receiver to a format that may be input to said remote unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said data converter comprises one of an RS-232 port, an IEEE 488 port, or a USB port.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said measuring step comprises the steps of:

(a) supplying, at a base unit, an electrical current through such patient'"'"'s body; and

(b) detecting, at the base unit, a voltage between at least two points on such patient'"'"'s body.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of communicating one of the inputted datum and the measured attribute from one unit to the other.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of communicating comprises the steps of transmitting a wireless signal and receiving the wireless signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said wireless signal is transmitted at one of a radio frequency, an infrared frequency, and an ultrasonic frequency.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of converting at least some of the information contained in the wireless signal to a format that may be input to a computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the format is one of an RS-232 format, an IEEE 488 format, and a USB format.

12. A method for determining the body composition of a patient, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring, at a base unit, an attribute of the patient'"'"'s body;

(b) inputting, at a remote unit, at least one datum concerning such patient;

(c) calculating, based upon both an inputted datum and the measured attribute, a value representing the body composition of such patient; and

(d) outputting, at the remote unit, the calculated value.