Vital signals and glucose monitoring personal wireless system

• US 20060226991A1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Victor A. Rivas
• Original Assignee: Victor A. Rivas
• Inventors: Rivas, Victor A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Medical monitoring technologies are integrated with wireless networks to wirelessly send signals from a monitoring device to a cellular telephone or other personal electronic device (PED. A sensor is placed inside or on the patient'"'"'s body. Information from the monitoring sensor is transmitted to a nearby and/or remote PED. The information transmitted to the PED may then be displayed, processed, stored or forwarded to another location if needed. The monitoring system of the present invention monitors a variety of bodily processes, but preferably measures vital signals such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rates, etc. The present invention may also be used to monitor glucose levels in diabetic users. Further, the device may be used as an alert system to alert the patient and third parties when a patient experiences an adverse medical condition.

Claims

1. A medical monitoring apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors connected to one or more parts of a user'"'"'s body for reading vital signals,

transmitters on the one or more sensors,

a personal electronic device,

medical monitoring software and hardware on the personal electronic device,

an alarm device on the personal electronic device,

a wireless or infrared connection between the transmitters and the personal electronic device, and

a wireless connection between the personal electronic device and the Internet, an intranet or another wireless device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are sensor arrays.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are chips, patches or wristbands.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are embedded in glasses.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the glasses emit light into the user'"'"'s temple and the one or more sensors measure reflected light.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the glasses display information in front of the user'"'"'s eyes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are passive RF units with electromagnetic coils.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors and transmitters are powered by solar power, batteries, capacitors, super miniature capacitors, RF rechargeable power sources or a combination thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the personal electronic device is a cellular phone, a laptop computer, medical monitoring glasses or a Palm Pilot.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the personal electronic device displays, processes, stores and forwards data from the one or more sensors.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an alarm is sounded when data from the one or more sensors reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.

12. A method of medical monitoring comprising:

attaching one or more sensors and corresponding transmitters to one or more user'"'"'s body parts,

reading vital signals of a user,

transmitting readings by a wireless or infrared network to a receiver on a personal electronic device,

displaying, processing, storing and forwarding data with medical monitoring software and hardware on the personal electronic device,

alerting the patient or a third party of an adverse medical condition, and

transmitting data wirelessly from the personal electronic device to a separate wireless receiver device, intranet or the Internet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors are sensor arrays.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors are chips, patches or wristbands.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors are embedded in glasses.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the glasses emit light into the user'"'"'s temple and the one or more sensors measure reflected light.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the glasses display information in front of the user'"'"'s eyes.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors are passive RF units with an electromagnetic coil.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors and transmitters are powered by solar power, batteries, capacitors, super miniature capacitors, RF rechargeable power sources or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the personal electronic device is a cellular phone, a laptop computer, medical monitoring glasses or a palm pilot.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the alerting occurs data from the one or more sensors reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.

22. A blood glucose monitoring apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors for reading blood glucose levels of a user,

transmitters on the one or more sensors,

a contact between the one or more sensors and the user'"'"'s body for collecting interstitial fluid,

a personal electronic device, wherein the personal electronic device comprises medical monitoring software and hardware for displaying, processing, storing and forwarding data,

a wireless or infrared connection between the transmitters and a receiver in the personal electronic device, and

a wireless connection between the personal electronic device and the Internet, an intranet or another wireless device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more sensors are light emitting diodes, micro lasers or photo sensors.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more sensors are biometric sensors.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising enzymes on the one or more sensors for reacting with glucose and producing a voltage proportional to glucose levels.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising electrodes of platinum or similar materials on a quartz substrate on the one or more sensors, and further comprising an enzyme coating on the one or more sensors for reacting with glucose and measuring glucose concentrations in a urine sample by converting glucose into hydrogen peroxide bynthe GOE, decomposing the hydrogen peroxide at the electrodes, and measuring the voltage produced by the decomposing.