VITAL SIGNS MONITOR USING AN OPTICAL EAR-BASED MODULE

• US 20060122517A1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triage Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matthew Banet
• Inventors: Visser, Henk, Banet, Matthew John, Morris, Brett George
• Granted Patent: US 7,658,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 Ear lobe

Abstract

The invention provides a system for measuring blood pressure from a patient that includes: 1) an optical module configured to be worn on the patient'"'"'s ear and comprising at least one optical source and a photodetector; 2) a calibration source configured to make a blood pressure measurement; and, 3) a processing module configured to: i) receive a first signal from the optical module; ii) receive a second signal from the calibration source; iii) process the first and second signals to generate a calibration table; and iv) receive a third signal from the optical module and compare it to the calibration table to determine the patient'"'"'s blood pressure.

Claims

1. A system for measuring blood pressure from a patient, comprising:

an optical module configured to couple on or near the patient'"'"'s ear and comprising at least one optical source and a photodetector configured to measure a measurement signal;

a first wireless transmitter in electrical communication with the optical module and configured to transmit a measurement signal to a processing module;

a calibration source configured to make a blood pressure measurement and generate a calibration signal and comprising a second wireless transmitter configured to transmit the calibration signal to the processing module; and

, a processing module comprising;

     1)a wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive the measurement a first signal from the optical module and the calibration signal from the calibration source; and

     2) a microprocessor configured to i) process the calibration signal from the calibration source;

ii) process the measurement and calibration signals to generate a calibration; and

iii) receive subsequent measurement signals measured by the optical module and wirelessly transmitted by the wireless transmitter and process them with the calibration to determine the patient'"'"'s blood pressure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical module comprises an ear-worn clip.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ear-worn clip comprises a first LED that emits red radiation, a second LED that emits infrared radiation, and the photodetector.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the calibration source is a cuff-based blood pressure module that includes a cuff and a pump.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the cuff is configured to be worn around the patient'"'"'s arm.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a long-range wireless transmitter that transmits information describing the patient'"'"'s blood pressure through a wireless network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing module is configured to transmit blood pressure values determined by both the processing module and the calibration source through the wireless network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to process a signal from the optical module to determine heart rate and pulse oximetry.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter operates on a protocol based on Bluetooth, 802.11, 802.15.4, part-15, or a derivative thereof.

6. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. A system for measuring blood pressure from a patient, comprising:

an optical module comprising at least one optical source, a photodetector, and a short-range wireless transmitter for transmitting a first signal;

a calibration source configured to make a blood pressure measurement from the patient, the calibration source comprising a cuff-based blood pressure monitor and a short-range wireless transmitter for transmitting a second signal;

a processing module configured to receive the first signal from the optical module and the second signal from the calibration source, and in response calculate a blood pressure value; and

a wireless transmitter configured to receive blood pressure values from both the calibration source and the processing module and to transmit the blood pressure values over a wireless network to an Internet-based host computer system for display of the blood pressure values from the calibration source and the processing module on an Internet-accessible web site.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing module is further configured to processes the first and second signals to generate a calibration table, and to use the calibration table and signals from the optical module to calculate a blood pressure value.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s blood pressure values, the system comprising:

an optical module comprising at least one optical source, a photodetector and means for transmitting a signal from the photodetector, the optical module positioned on the patient'"'"'s head;

a calibration source comprising a cuff-based blood pressure monitor, a first circuit for receiving the signal from the optical module, a second circuit for controlling the cuff-based blood pressure monitor and a wireless transmitter for receiving and transmitting a cuffless-based signal from the first circuit and a cuff-based signal from the second circuit, the first circuit having a microprocessor having a firmware program that controls the second circuit and processes the signal from the optical module to generate a cuffless blood pressure value for the patient, a heart rate value for the patient, and a pulse oximetry value for the patient;

an Internet-accessible website for receiving the cuffless-based signal and the cuff-based signal from the wireless transmitter of the calibration source, the Internet-accessible website displaying cuffless blood pressure values, cuff-based blood pressure values, heart rate values and pulse oximetry values for the patient.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the transmitting means for the optical module is a short-range wireless transmitter.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the transmitting means for the optical module is a cable connected to the optical module and the calibration source.

23. The system according to claim 20 wherein the microprocessor of the first circuit of the calibration source comprises means for generating a calibration table from a cuff-based blood pressure value from the cuff-based blood pressure monitor and a plethysmograph generated from a signal from the optical module.

24. A system for measuring blood pressure from a patient, comprising:

an optical module configured to couple on or near the patient'"'"'s ear and comprising at least one optical source and a photodetector configured to measure a measurement signal;

a calibration source comprising;

i) a measurement system configured to make a blood pressure measurement and generate a calibration signal; and

ii) a wireless transmitter configured to transmit blood pressure information through a wireless network to an Internet-based system; and

,

a processing module comprising;

a microprocessor configured to;

i) receive the calibration signal from the calibration source;

ii) process the measurement and calibration signals to generate a calibration;

iii) receive subsequent measurement signals measured by the optical module and process them with the calibration to determine the patient'"'"'s blood pressure values; and

iv) send the blood pressure values to the wireless transmitter comprised by the calibration source.

25. A system for measuring blood pressure from a patient, comprising:

a cuff-based blood pressure monitor configured to make a cuff-based blood pressure measurement;

a cuffless blood pressure monitor comprising an optical system configured to make a cuffless blood pressure measurement;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the cuff-based and cuffless blood pressure measurements and transmit them through a wireless network; and

an Internet-based system configured to receive the cuff-based and cuffless blood pressure measurements from the wireless network; and

a website connected to the Internet-based system configured to display the cuffless and cuff-based blood pressure measurements.

26. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:

a cuff-based monitor configured to make a cuff-based blood pressure measurement;

a cuffless monitor configured to make a cuffless blood pressure measurement;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the cuff-based and cuffless blood pressure measurements and wirelessly transmit them to a computer system; and

a software system operating on the computer system and configured to display the cuffless and cuff-based measurements on a single graph.