Chair and ancillary apparatus with medical diagnostic features in a remote health monitoring system

• US 20030208109A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commwell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Commwell Incorporated
• Inventors: Levy, Irving, David, Daniel, Halperson, Ziv, David, Zipora
• Granted Patent: US 6,832,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/02241 of small dimensions, e.g. adapted to fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

A medical examination chair includes a group of sensors including electrodes in finger-tip sensors, various other types of sensors incorporated in straps for the patient in the chair and load cells supporting the chair, all of which provide data which is partially processed in the electronics mounted in the chair and then transmitted to central station for patient diagnosis.

Claims

1. A medical examination device comprising, in combination

a platform;

a support for the platform with at least three load sensors geometrically distributed under the support; and

an element for detecting the load on each of the load sensors to provide a set of data signals for medical diagnosis.

2. The device of claim 1 further including one or more of the following:

(a) diagnostic ECG sensor;

(b) blood pressure sensor;

(c) respiration rate sensor;

(d) pulse oximetry sensor;

(e) sonic detector;

(f) skin resistance detector;

(g) manual grip sensor;

(h) fluid flow rate sensor; and

(i) glucometer.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the device and includes four support members for arrayed in a rectangular array beneath a seat having a front edge and a back edge, said support members aligned generally with the front edge and the back edge of the seat, and a load sensor located between each support and a support surface.

4. The device of claim 1 further including a load sensor signal processor, said processor including a base reference for each of said load sensors, differential amplifiers to amplify the changes in signal of each load sensor, a high pass filter to remove the DC component of each signal, and a low pass filter to remove the AC component of each signal.

5. The device of claim 1 further including a sensor element to sense the voltage associated with each of the load sensors and a band pass filter to filter out select signals.

6. The device of claim 4 or 5 her including a signal processor for processing the voltage signals from the load sensors and measure the differential signal between side to side and front to back with time for each of the sensors.

7. The device of claim 1 further including:

a hand grip monitoring device comprising, in combination;

a bladder;

a tube connected to the bladder;

a source of pressurized fluid for the bladder connected through the tube;

a check valve for monitoring the bladder and tube filled with a volume of fluid;

a pressure sensor connected to the bladder for measuring the fluid pressure in the bladder and providing a first signal representative of the absolute pressure in the bladder and a second signal representative of the change in pressure over time in the bladder;

and a recorder for recording the first signal over a measured increment of time and for recording the second signal over said measured increment of time, said first signal being integrated and recorded, said second signal being recorded to provide the frequency and amplitude over the increment of time.

8. The device of claim 8 or 7 further including historical recordings of like signals and a comparator for comparing the recorded signals with historical readings.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the historical readings are derived from the same patient.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the historical readings are derived from a non-patient source.

11. The device of claim 8 further including an alarm for denoting departure from the historical recordings.

12. The device of claim 1, 4, 5, 6, or 7 in combination with a central station, said device maintained at a remote station, said stations being linked by two-way audio, video and/or data channels.

13. The device of claim 12 in combination with multiple remote station devices and a single central station and further including a control system for monitoring each device.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the control system for monitoring each device includes a switch for connecting the central station to each of said device individually.