Hard disk drive medical monitor with electrical grounding system

• US 20050288560A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Flechsig, Karl Arthur, Gillis, Donald Ray, Feliss, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,201,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• 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 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0255 Recording instruments specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/413 Monitoring transplanted tissue or organ, e.g. for possible rejection reactions after a transplant
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A medical monitor is disclosed for implantation in a human body for monitoring biological activity and states as detected by implanted sensors. The medical monitor includes at least one hard disk drive. A transmitter and receiver produces and receives signals. The medical monitor is in communication with the sensors, by which information on biological activity and states is stored on the at least one disk drive. An enclosure surrounds the at least one hard disk drive, and an electrical grounding system is included.

Claims

1. A medical monitor for implantation in the user'"'"'s body for monitoring data on biological activity and states gathered from sensors implanted in the user'"'"'s body, said medical monitor comprising:

at least one hard disk drive;

a transmitter and receiver for producing and transmitting signals in the radio frequency range, said medical monitor being in communication with said sensors, by which information on biological activity and states is stored on said at least one hard disk drive;

an enclosure surrounding said at least one hard disk drive; and

an electrical grounding system.

2. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said electrical grounding system includes a grounding structure which diverts high voltage or current spikes from said at least one disk drive.

3. The medical monitor of claim 2, wherein:

said grounding structure includes a grounding receptacle.

4. The medical monitor of claim 3, wherein:

said grounding receptacle includes an implanted receptacle.

5. The medical monitor of claim 4, wherein:

said grounding receptacle further includes a non-implanted receptacle.

6. The medical monitor of claim 5, wherein:

said implanted receptacle includes a metalized plate.

7. The medical monitor of claim 6, wherein:

said non-implanted receptacle includes an external plate which is positioned adjacent to said metalized plate such that high voltage can travel from said implanted receptacle to said non-implanted receptacle to be grounded, thus protecting said at least one hard disk drive.

8. The medical monitor of claim 7, wherein:

said external plate connects to an external grounding wire.

9. The medical monitor of claim 8, wherein:

said external grounding wire connects to one of user'"'"'s shoes.

10. The medical monitor of claim 1, further comprising:

a recharging system including at least one rechargeable battery and an induction electronics interface.

11. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

transmissions are encrypted as encrypted information for security of the user.

12. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one hard disk drive comprises a primary drive and a secondary drive, wherein said secondary drive mirrors said primary drive.

13. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said enclosure includes sound-proofing materials.

14. The medical monitor of claim 1, further comprising:

a GPS transmitter and a receiver for producing and receiving transmission signals in the radio frequency range, said a GPS transmitter for sending satellite communication signals via the public GPS frequencies and protocol.

15. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said enclosure includes a shock-proofing system.

16. The medical monitor of claim 1, further comprising:

an alert mechanism which is used to signal the user of medical and maintenance conditions.

17. A system for monitoring biological activity and states in the body of a user, comprising:

a medical HDD monitor, including at least one hard disk drive, a transmitter and a receiver for producing and transmitting signals in the radio frequency range, and an electrical grounding structure which diverts high voltage or current spikes from said at least one disk drive;

at least one sensor for communicating data from at least one site in said body of said user to said medical HDD monitor; and

an external programming interface which communicates with said medical HDD monitor by radio frequency transmission, in order to set performance parameters of said medical HDD monitor.

18. The system claim 17, further comprising:

an external programming device which is in radio frequency communication with said medical HDD monitor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

said external programming device is chosen from a group consisting of hand-held computers and laptop computers.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

said at least one hard disk drive includes two disk drives, which are in communication with each other, to provide disk drive data redundancy and data backup; and

said disk drive data redundancy and data backup is accomplished by an operating configuration chosen from the group consisting of RAID 0, RAID 1, or RAID 0+1 techniques.