GARMENT ACCESSORY WITH ELECTROCARDIOGRAM SENSORS

• US 20080287769A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medicomp Incorporated (Medicomp, Inc. /Balda/)
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Wearable Computing, Inc.
• Inventors: Albrecht, Paul, Kurzweil, Raymond C., Gibson, Lucy, Angelica, Amara, Kleiner, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/388
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

A garment accessory includes a member having first and second ends, with the length of the member between the first and second ends being less than the circumference of a subject that the member is configured for and a pair of fastener mechanisms disposed in proximity to the first and second ends of the member, the fastener mechanisms configured to attach the member to an article of clothing worn by a subject. The garment accessory also includes at least a pair of sensors supported by the member with the sensors being at least one of ECG sensors, motion sensors, body temperature sensors and impedance plethysmography sensors.

Claims

1. A garment accessory comprises:

a member having first and second ends, with the length of the member between the first and second ends being less than the circumference of a subject that the member is configured for;

a pair of fastener mechanisms disposed in proximity to the first and second ends of the member, the fastener mechanisms configured to attach the member to an article worn by a subject; and

at least a pair of sensors supported by the member.

2. The garment accessory of claim 1, wherein the member further has a fastener mechanism disposed at the center of the member.

3. The garment accessory of claim 2 wherein the fastener mechanisms at the first and second ends of the member and the central portion of the member are configured to couple the member to a brassiere.

4. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the pair of sensors are removable from the member.

5. The garment accessory of claim 3 further comprising:

a circuit arrangement electrically coupled to the pair of sensors, the circuit arrangement carried by the member.

6. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the fastener mechanism is at least one of hooks, clips, elastic band, hook and loop fasteners and snaps.

7. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the fastener mechanism comprises a hook mechanism which hooks over a portion of an article of clothing.

8. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the fastener mechanism comprising a set of clips disposed on the bottom outside edge of the garment accessory, configured such that when the garment accessory is underneath an article of clothing that encircles the torso of a subject, the clips attach to the bottom edge of the article of clothing.

9. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the circuit arrangement includes a wireless transmitter.

10. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensors are at least one of ECG sensors, motion sensors, body temperature sensors and impedance plethysmography sensors.

11. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the garment accessory is configured to attach to a brassiere.

12. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein at least part of the garment accessory is held in place underneath the lower portion of the front and sides of a brassiere.

13. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein at least part of the assembly is held in place by a pouch or loop portion of a bra.

14. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the garment accessory is configured to be secured on side straps of a brassiere.

15. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein each of the sensors comprise:

a sensor membrane in electrical contact with the mating snap, the sensor membrane comprised of an electrically conductive, flexible material.

16. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensor membrane is comprised of conductive rubber or conductive silicone.

17. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensor membrane has a major surface thereof that is exposed to make contact with the skin of a subject, the major surface being curved.

18. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensor membrane has a major surface thereof that is exposed to make contact with the skin of a subject, the major surface being flat.

19. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensor membrane has the major surface covered with a conductive gel film.

20. The garment accessory of claim 1 further comprising:

a snap comprised of an electrically conductive material disposed in intimate contact with the backside of the sensing membrane to provide an electrical path for a signal from the sensing membrane, the snap engaging a mating snap supported by the strap member.

21. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensor further comprises a sensor frame comprised of a firm, flexible material supporting the sensor membrane.

22. The garment accessory of claim 1 wherein the sensor membrane comprises:

a water resistant material to induce sweat.

23. The garment accessory of claim 1 further comprising:

a layer of sweat-absorbing material disposed adjacent to the sensor membrane.

24. A brassiere comprises:

at least one accommodation disposed on a portion of the brassiere, the accommodation for carrying at least a pair of sensors; and

a pair of detachable sensors carried by the at least one accommodation.

25. The brassiere of claim 24 wherein the accommodation is one of a pocket, slit, pouch.

26. The brassiere of claim 24 wherein the accommodation is a pair of pockets that support a garment accessory, the garment accessory comprising:

a member having first and second ends that fit within the pair of pockets; and

wherein the pair of sensors are carried by the member for holding the sensors against the skin of the subject.

27. The garment accessory of claim 26 further comprising:

a wireless transmitter carried by the member.

28. The brassiere of claim 24 further comprising:

a pouch formed by a layer of material coupled to a portion of the brassiere, the layer of material forming the pouch having an opening in a portion of the material facing the user'"'"'s body so that the sensor can make contact with the user'"'"'s body.

29. The brassiere of claim 24 further comprising:

a pouch formed by a layer of material coupled to a portion of the brassiere, with the pouch configured to be closed at least at the portion of the pouch that faces the user'"'"'s body to house a capacitively-coupled removable sensor.

30. The brassiere of claim 24 wherein the accommodation is a plurality of loops of material disposed on at least the strap portion to support a member carrying the sensors.

31. The brassiere of claim 24 wherein the accommodation is a slit through a portion of the brassiere through which a portion of the sensor is supported with a portion of the sensor being on the skin side of the slit and a remaining portion of the sensor overlapping the portion of the brassiere and being on the other side of the slit.

32. The brassiere of claim 24 wherein the accommodation accommodates wiring, with the accommodation being a slot, groove, clip or re-closable fastener.

33. A brassiere-based heart monitor device comprises:

a fastener mechanism that attaches the brassiere-based heart monitor device to a brassiere worn by a subject, the brassiere-based heart monitor device comprising;

a pair of physiological sensors; and

an electrical circuit arrangement electrically coupled to the pair of sensors.

34. The device of claim 33 further comprising:

an electronics module.

35. The device of claim 33 wherein the electronics module includes a signal amplifier.

36. The device of claim 33 wherein the electronics module includes a wireless transmitter.

37. The device of claim 33 wherein the fastener mechanism is at least one of hooks, clips, elastic band, hook and loop fasteners and snaps.

38. The device of claim 33 wherein the sensors are at least one of ECG sensors, motion sensors, body temperature sensors and impedance plethysmography sensors.

39. The device of claim 33 wherein at least part of the assembly is held in place underneath the lower portion of the front of a brassiere.

40. The device of claim 33 wherein at least part of the assembly is held in place by a pouch or loop portion of a bra.