Device for verifying and monitoring vital parameters of the body

• US 20050014999A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Super Shine Ventures Ltd
• Original Assignee: Niels Rahe-Meyer
• Inventors: Rahe-Meyer, Niels
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• 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 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 9/00 Instruments for examination by percussion; Pleximeters

Abstract

The invention lies in the domain of medical technology and relates to a diagnosis and monitoring device for the rapid diagnosis and monitoring of vital parameters of the human or animal body, in particular of the heart and/or lungs, said device being compact, without cables and/or tubes and easy to use for the user. Devices such as a bell (1) comprising a membrane (2) and/or measuring electrodes (4, 5) for receiving and forwarding acoustic and/or electric signals of the body are arranged in a housing with a cross-section that is approximately the size of the palm of a hand and a height of approximately half a hand-width, on the side of a housing that is to be placed on the body. Said devices are connected to a device in the housing, which analyses, filters and stores the signals of the receiving device and to additional devices for visually reproducing the evaluated signals in digital or analogue form using display fields (14, 15, 16, 17) and/or for acoustically reproducing said signals using a loudspeaker (9) located in the housing. The diagnosis and monitoring device also comprises interfaces (10, 11) for connecting external devices and equipment (e.g. computer, earphones, printer). The principal characteristics of the invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Claims

1. A device for the examination and monitoring of the vital parameters of the human or animal body (Vitaloskop), in the form of a compact Diagnostic Device, which may be used single-handedly and within easy reach of the user, without the necessity for cables and tubes;

characteristic in that, fitted in the casing are devices (1, 1″

, 2, 2′

, 2″

;

3;

4, 5;

4′

;

4″

;

4′

″

;

34;

39;

41;

43;

26;

47), of a size which would fit into the pockets of a doctors coat, of approximately the size of the palm of the hand in width and a length of approximately half a hand, which record and transmit one or more signals of the body;

a device for electronic analysis, filtering and data storage of the signals supplied by these recording devices;

devices for visual playback in digital and analog form (7, 14, 15, 16) or for acoustic playback (9) of the analysed signals;

finally that in the device on its exterior sides, are interfaces units (10, 11, 20, 22) for the connection of external devices and appliances, such as a computer, ear phones, head phones, a printer and measuring electrodes with cables (4″

″

).

2. A device as in Patent claim 1, characteristic in that the devices for the visual playback of the analysed signals, consist of the operational and display areas with digital display areas (15), amplitude beam display (16) and the necessary operational keys (13) as well as a monitor/screen (7) with curve-fields'"'"' display (14), integrated into the operational and display area, which is positioned on the casing of the device, where a number of signals are being recorded, either at the same time or at different times, which can be displayed;

the operational and display areas (13, 15, 16) and the monitor/screen (7) are fitted to the upper side of the device, facing away from the body.

3. A device as in Patent claim 1 or 2, characteristic in that the device for the acoustic playback is a speaker (9) with an amplifier and an alarm, integrated into the casing of the entire device, positioned on the side of the entire device, which is facing away from the body.

4. A device as in Patent claim 1 or 2, characteristic in that the device has, for the recording of body signals, a recording unit for electrical signals, in the form of tension fluctuations and/or of impedance measurements and/or temperature measurements, which consists of two or more measuring electrodes (4, 5;

4′

;

4″

/4′

″

), which are positioned on one level on the underside of the casing of the entire device, for placing over or onto the body areas being examined.

5. A device as in Patent claim 1 or 3, characteristic in that the device for the recording of body signals is a recording unit for acoustic signals, consisting of a sound funnel (1, 1″

), a membrane (2, 2′

, 2″

) and a microphone (3), whereby the membrane (2, 2′

, 2″

) is positioned on the underside of the casing of the entire device, for placing over or onto the body areas being examined.

7. A device for the implementation of the method as in Patent claim 6, characteristic in that with a device as in Patent claim 1 or 2, the recording unit has an opening for the insertion of a body part, for example, a section of a finger, whereby the section of the finger rests with one side on the exterior wall of the module and, with the opposite side of the body part on a dish (33), which is connected to a pressure device (36 to 40) and is horizontally movable on the guide track (35), whereby the dish (33) is being pushed by the pressure shaft (38), and the pressure shaft motor (40), against the inserted section of the finger and the pressure is being regulated and measured via a regulating element (39) on the pressure shaft (38);

also, on the dish (33), in the direction of the finger section to be inserted, there is a light transmitter (34), which works together with a light receiver (34′

), on the opposite exterior wall of the sensor module.

8. A device as in Patent claim 4, characteristic in that the measuring electrodes (4), on the underside of the device casing, are placed slightly inwards, and each has a receptacle (5), into which a contact substance will be filled, for example, contact gel.

9. A device as in Patent claim 1 and one or more of the Patent claims 2 to 6, characteristic in that one or more measuring electrodes (4′

, 4″

, 4′

″

) are used, which are positioned on one level with the membrane (2, 2′

, 2″

) of the sound funnel (1, 1″

).

10. A device as in Patent claim 1 and 8, characteristic in that the measuring electrodes (4′

), on the underside of the casing, have a slightly domed surface and/or the measuring electrodes (4′

″

) have a straight surface.

11. A device as in Patent claim 1 and one or more of the Patent claims 2 to 9, characteristic in that one or more measuring electrodes (4″

) are positioned on the underside of the casing, but are movable, and are connected, through a connection cable (19) or as a wireless transmitter/receiver system, with the device and its recording unit for electrical signals.

12. A device as in Patent claim 5, characteristic in that the recording unit for acoustic signals has an exchangeable sound funnel (1″

), which is placed in the device casing, by means of a threaded fitting, a bayonet fixing or in another known way, and that the exchangeable membrane (2′

) is positioned on the sound funnel (1″

).

13. A device as in Patent claim 5, characteristic in that instead of the sound funnel (1, 1″

) with the membrane (2, 2″

), a sound cylinder (1′

) is positioned on the underside of the device, which, at the same time, serves as a fixing for the microphone (3).

14. A device as in Patent claim 1 or 2, characteristic in that the device for the recording of body signals is a recording unit for measuring the mechanical strain/elasticity of the body surface, consisting of the sound funnel (1), which is positioned vertically in the casing and can be adjusted in its height, and additionally works together with a pressure recorder (42, 43) for the recording and transmitting of sound.

15. A device as in Patent claim 1 or 2, characteristic in that the device for the recording of body signals, is a recording unit for measuring the mechanical strain/elasticity of the body surface, consisting of the sound funnel (1), with a membrane (2′

), which is light reflective on its inside and is facing the sound funnel, and whereby, facing each other, are a light transmitter (41) and a light receiver (41′

) positioned on the sound funnel (1, 1″

), which ascertain the different light reflections of the vertical doming of the membrane (2, 2′

) and transmit them to the electronic analysis device.

16. A device as in Patent claim 14, characteristic in that instead of the light transmitter (41) and the light receiver (41′

), the membrane (2, 2′

) is connected to a Piezo element or a Eddy current sensor, which converts the movement or position of the membrane (2, 2′

) into electrical/electronic signals during the examination process.

18. A device for the implementation of the method as in Patent claim 17, characteristic in that the percussion element contains a sound-producing part (27′

, 44 to 47), which is inserted into the device according to Patent claim 1 or 2, with which the knocking mechanism (27′

) has an electromagnetic drive (44 to 46) for the production of sound, and knocks onto the striking area (47) on the underside of the Diagnostic Device, which also rests on the body part examined.

19. A device for the implementation of the method as in Patent claim 17, characteristic in that the percussion element contains a sound-producing part (26 to 29), which is firmly connected to an exterior wall of the device casing as in Patent claim 1 or 2, but removable and consists of an angled steel elevation (26), whose side is formed by areas facing each other at a right angle, whereby the horizontal side runs on a horizontal level with the underside of the device, and, on the vertical side of the angled steel elevation (26), on its inside in the upper area (29), a leaf spring (28) is positioned, which has a knocking mechanism (27) on its lower/bottom end, and rests held by a spring, on the inside of the horizontal side of the angled steel elevation (26), which produces a knocking sound, when it is lifted and springs back.

20. A device as in Patent claim 1 or one or more of the Patent claims 2 to 17, characteristic in that the device has a usable lamp (31) with a miniaturised light.

6. A method for measuring the oxygenating levels and circulation levels of the human or animal body, especially the arterial oxygen saturation of the blood, the arterial capillary and venous blood pressure levels and the recapillarisation time, characteristic in that a section of the body is being pushed together in a defined way, by the pressure device, and then the pressure will be released again, whereby this section of the body lies between a light transmitter and a light receiver and is x-rayed, and, during this process, this light is being measured, analysed and correlated.

17. A method for the diagnosis of sound transmission, reflection and the resonance properties of areas or tissues of the human or animal body, characteristic in that a percussion element produces standardised sound waves, whose reverberation through the body or the body part, is being received by a recording unit and being analysed by a electronic device.