System for monitoring a physiological parameter of players engaged in a sporting activity

• US 20060074338A1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riddell Incorporated (BRG Sports, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Riddell Sports Group, Inc. (BRG Sports, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ide, Thad M., Chu, Jeffrey J., Greenwald, Richard M., Crisco, Joseph J. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• 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 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 : temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/60 : muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 : American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/10 : for the head A63B71/081 takes precedence ; in the form of caps or hats A42B1/08; helmets A42B3/00

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for monitoring a physiological parameter of players engaged in a sporting activity. The system includes a plurality of reporting units, a controller, and a signaling device. The reporting unit has an arrangement of sensing devices that measure the physiological parameter of an individual player and generate parameter data. The controller receives the parameter data transmitted from each reporting unit and then processes the parameter data to calculate a parameter result. When the parameter result exceeds a predetermined value, the controller communicates with a signaling device that provides an alert to sideline personnel to monitor the player(s) in question. The system also includes a remote storage device for holding historical data collected by the system which permits subsequent analysis. The system can monitor a number of player physiological parameters, including the acceleration of a player'"'"'s body part that experiences an impact and the temperature of each player.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a physiological parameter of players engaged in a sporting activity, the system comprising:

a plurality of reporting units, wherein each reporting unit has a plurality of sensing devices arranged to measure the physiological parameter of an individual player and generate parameter data;

a controller that receives said parameter data transmitted from each reporting unit, wherein the controller processes said parameter data to calculate a parameter result; and

,

a signaling device that provides an alert when said parameter result exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is remote from the reporting units, and wherein the reporting units continuously monitor the physiological parameter and wirelessly transmit parameter data to the controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter data transmitted by each reporting unit has a unique identifier, and wherein the controller recognizes the identifier in order to multiplex said parameter result for all players having a reporting unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter data transmitted by each reporting unit is encoded and wherein the controller decodes the parameter data in order to multiplex said parameter result for all players having a reporting unit.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote storage device for holding historical data collected by the system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter to be monitored by the system is the direction and magnitude of acceleration of a player'"'"'s body part that experiences an impact.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the body part is the head and wherein the plurality of sensing devices are accelerometers arranged proximate the player'"'"'s head.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the accelerometers measure linear and rotational acceleration of the player'"'"'s head.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter to be monitored by the system is the temperature of each player.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensing devices are thermistors.

11. A system for actively monitoring a physiological parameter of players, the system comprising:

a plurality of reporting units, each reporting unit being associated with a player and having at least one sensor that measures the player'"'"'s physiological parameter, each reporting unit further having a control unit operably connected to the sensor for the transmission of parameter data measured by the sensor;

a controller that receives said parameter data transmitted from each reporting unit, wherein the controller calculates a parameter result that defines an alert event when said parameter result surpasses a predetermined value; and

,

a signaling device that provides an alert upon the occurrence of an alert event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the signaling device includes a user interface that displays at least one of:

an identification of the player, a time associated with the parameter result, location on the player'"'"'s body associated with the parameter result, cumulative impacts received by a player during a single sporting session, and magnitude of an impact and duration of an impact resulting in the alert event.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the signaling device is one of either a pager and a personal digital assistant.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control unit in the reporting units includes a microprocessor, a telemetry element, and a battery power supply.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the control unit provides a unique identifier with the data transmitted by each reporting unit, and wherein to the controller recognizes the identifier for the calculation of the parameter result.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the physiological parameter measured by the system is the acceleration of a player'"'"'s body part that experiences an impact.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reporting unit sensor comprises accelerometers that measure linear and rotational acceleration of the body part.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the physiological parameter measured by the system is the player'"'"'s temperature.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the reporting unit sensor is at least one thermistor.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the reporting unit is positioned within protective equipment worn by each player.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the player protective equipment is a helmet.

22. A system for actively monitoring a physiological parameter of players, the system comprising:

a plurality of reporting units, each reporting unit having an arrangement of sensors that measure the physiological parameter of an individual player, each reporting unit further having a control unit operably connected to the sensors for the transmission of parameter data measured by the sensors; and

,

an electronic device that receives said parameter data transmitted from each reporting unit, wherein the device calculates a result from the parameter data and provides an alert when said result surpasses a predetermined value.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the parameter data transmitted by each reporting unit contains a unique identifier that the electronic device recognizes in order to multiplex said parameter data for the calculation of the result.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a remote storage device for holding historical data collected by the system, wherein access to the storage device is provided via the internet.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the physiological parameter to be monitored by the system is the acceleration of a player'"'"'s body part that experiences an impact.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the body part is the head and wherein the sensor arrangement comprises accelerometers arranged proximate the player'"'"'s head.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the physiological parameter to be monitored by the system is the temperature of each player having a reporting unit.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one thermistor.

29. A system for monitoring body part acceleration of players, the system comprising:

a plurality of reporting units wherein each reporting unit is associated with a player to measure the acceleration of a player'"'"'s body part that receives an impact, wherein each reporting unit has an arrangement of sensors that measure the acceleration and a control unit operably connected to the sensors for the transmission of acceleration data;

a controller that receives said acceleration data transmitted from each reporting unit, wherein the controller calculates the magnitude of the body part acceleration; and

,

a signaling device that provides an alert when said acceleration magnitude exceeds a predetermined value.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the controller calculates one of either the direction of the impact and the location of the impact resulting in the body part acceleration.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the alert provided by the signaling device includes the information calculated by the controller.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the sensors are accelerometers positioned about the body part, and wherein the sensor arrangement measures linear and rotational acceleration of the body part.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the body part is the player'"'"'s head and the reporting unit is positioned within a helmet.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the reporting unit is positioned within protective equipment worn by each player.

35. A system for monitoring the temperature of players, the system comprising:

a plurality of reporting units wherein each reporting unit is associated with a player, wherein each reporting unit has at least one sensor that measures the player'"'"'s temperature data, each reporting unit further having a control unit for the transmission of temperature data;

a controller that receives said temperature data transmitted from each reporting unit, wherein the controller calculates the player'"'"'s temperature; and

,

a signaling device that provides an alert when said calculated temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the sensor in each reporting unit is one of a thermistor, a thermal ribbon sensor, and a band-gap integrated circuit sensor.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller calculates the rate of temperature increase versus a selected time period for each player having a reporting unit.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the reporting unit is positioned within protective equipment worn by each player, and wherein the protective equipment is one of a helmet and a shoulder pad assembly.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller includes a temperature sensor that provides a correction factor for the player temperature calculation.