EVENT MONITORING DOSIMETRY APPARATUSES AND METHODS THEREOF

• US 20120239343A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rochester Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Rochester Institute of Technology
• Inventors: BORKHOLDER, David A., FASSLER, Werner, BLAIR, Andrew, SHERMAN, Kim, DeBUSSCHERE, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 10,292,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/139
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• 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 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• 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: G01L 5/14 for measuring the force of explosions; for measuring the energy of projectiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A dosimetry apparatus includes at least one sensor in a housing, a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover is seated over the at least one sensor, and a dosimetry processing device with a memory. The dosimetry processing device is coupled to the at least one sensor in the housing. The dosimetry processing device is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising: obtaining readings from the at least one sensor; storing the readings with a time and date stamp when obtained; conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings; and outputting at least one of the stored readings or the conducted analysis.

Claims

1. A dosimetry apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor in a housing;

a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover is seated over at least the sensor; and

a dosimetry processing device with a memory coupled to the at least one of sensor in the housing, the dosimetry processing device configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising obtaining readings from the at least one of sensor, storing the readings when obtained, conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings and outputting at least one of the stored readings or the conducted analysis.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover has one or more shaped passages that direct the compression waves towards the at least one sensor.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the one or more shaped passages of the cover comprise a funnel shape.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover comprises a mesh structure.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the mesh structure further comprises a check valve that controls flow into the housing.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the mesh structure further comprises a filtering mesh seated against a structural mesh.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a floating body seated within the mesh structure.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising beaded structures packed within the mesh structure.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a porous matrix structure within the mesh structure.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a pressure sensor and an inertial measurement unit.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a display device coupled to the dosimetry processing device, the display device configured to illustrate the stored readings.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the display device comprises a plurality of different colored status indicator devices each with a different symbol to illustrate a severity level of the stored reading.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further comprising an engagement device coupled to the dosimetry processing device, wherein the dosimetry processing device is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising providing a status indicator of the stored readings on the display device in response to an activation of the engagement device.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising coupling power for the at least one peripheral device directly from the dosimetry processing device.

15. A dosimetry apparatus comprising:

at least one of a pressure sensor or an inertial measurement unit in a housing;

at least one of a mounting apparatus connected to the housing to mount the housing to an entity or a shock mounting apparatus that shock mounts the inertial measurement unit in the housing; and

a dosimetry processing device with a memory coupled to the at least one of the pressure sensor or the inertial measurement unit in the housing, the dosimetry processing device configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising obtaining readings from the at least one of the pressure sensor or the inertial measurement unit, storing the readings when obtained, conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings, and outputting at least one of the stored readings or the conducted analysis.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the mounting apparatus comprises at least one of adhesive, hook and loop mating fasteners, fabric wraps with hook and loop mating fasteners, elastic straps, hooks, grommet snaps embedded in the housing and attached to a helmet strap, or non-elastic straps with a tightening device.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the shock mounting apparatus comprises at least one of an elastic suspension mounting system or one or more viscoelastic bushings.

18. A method of making a dosimetry apparatus, the method comprising:

providing at least one sensor in a housing;

seating a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover seated over the at least one sensor; and

coupling a dosimetry processing device with a memory to the at least one sensor in the housing, the dosimetry processing device configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising obtaining readings from the at least one sensor, storing the readings when obtained, conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings, and outputting at least one of the stored readings or the conducted analysis.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the cover has one or more shaped passages that direct the compression waves towards the at least one sensor.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the one or more shaped passages of the cover comprise a funnel shape.

21. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the cover comprises a mesh structure.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising providing a check valve under the mesh structure that controls flow into the housing.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the mesh structure further comprises a filtering mesh seated against a structural mesh.

24. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising providing a floating body within the mesh structure.

25. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising packing beaded structures within the mesh structure.

26. The method as set forth in claim 21 further providing a porous matrix structure within the mesh structure.

27. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a pressure sensor and an inertial measurement unit.

28. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising coupling a display device to the dosimetry processing device, the display device configured to illustrate the stored readings.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28 wherein the display device comprises a plurality of different colored status indicator devices each with a different symbol to illustrate a severity level of the stored readings.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29 further comprising coupling an engagement device to the dosimetry processing device, wherein the dosimetry processing device is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising providing a status indicator of the stored readings on the display device in response to an activation of the engagement device.

31. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising coupling the at least one sensor to receive power directly from the dosimetry processing device.

32. A method of making a dosimetry apparatus, the method comprising:

providing at least one of a pressure sensor or an inertial measurement unit in a housing;

connecting at least one of a mounting apparatus to the housing to mount the housing to an entity or a shock mounting apparatus to shock mount the inertial measurement unit in the housing; and

coupling a dosimetry processing device with a memory to the at least one of the pressure sensor or the inertial measurement unit in the housing, the dosimetry processing device configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising obtaining readings from the at least one of the pressure sensor or the inertial measurement unit, storing the readings when obtained, conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings, and outputting at least one of the stored readings and the conducted analysis.

33. The method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the mounting apparatus comprises at least one of adhesive, hook and loop mating fasteners, fabric wraps with gook and loop mating fasteners, elastic straps, hooks, grommet snaps embedded in the housing and attached to a helmet strap, or non-elastic straps with a tightening device.

34. The method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the shock mounting apparatus comprises at least one of an elastic suspension mounting system or one or more viscoelastic bushings.

35. A dosimetry apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor in a housing;

at least one conductor coupled to the at least one sensor and extending out from the housing; and

a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover is seated over at least the sensor and connected to the housing.

36. The apparatus as set forth in claim 35 wherein the cover has one or more shaped passages that direct the compression waves towards the at least one sensor.

37. The apparatus as set forth in claim 36 wherein the one or more shaped passages of the cover comprise a funnel shape.

38. The apparatus as set forth in claim 35 wherein the cover comprises a mesh structure.

39. The apparatus as set forth in claim 38 wherein the mesh structure further comprises a check valve that controls flow into the housing.

40. The apparatus as set forth in claim 38 wherein the mesh structure further comprises a filtering mesh seated against a structural mesh.

41. The apparatus as set forth in claim 38 further comprising a floating body seated within the mesh structure.

42. The apparatus as set forth in claim 38 further comprising beaded structures packed within the mesh structure.

43. The apparatus as set forth in claim 38 further comprising a porous matrix structure within the mesh structure.

45. The method as set forth in claim 43 wherein the cover has one or more shaped passages that direct the compression waves towards the at least one sensor.

46. The method as set forth in claim 45 wherein the one or more shaped passages of the cover comprise a funnel shape.

44. A method for making a dosimetry apparatus, the method comprising:

providing at least one sensor in a housing;

coupling at least one conductor to the at least one sensor, the conductor extending out from the housing; and

seating a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover over at least the sensor and connected to the housing.

47. The method as set forth in claim 44 wherein the cover comprises a mesh structure.

48. The method as set forth in claim 47 further comprising providing a check valve under the mesh structure that controls flow into the housing.

49. The method as set forth in claim 47 wherein the mesh structure further comprises a filtering mesh seated against a structural mesh.

50. The method as set forth in claim 47 further comprising providing a floating body seated within the mesh structure.

51. The method as set forth in claim 47 further comprising providing beaded structures packed within the mesh structure.

52. The method as set forth in claim 47 further comprising providing a porous matrix structure within the mesh structure.

53. An apparatus comprising:

a power source;

at least one peripheral device; and

a processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory and an I/O device and the power source, the at least one peripheral device is directly coupled to the I/O device of the processing device to obtain power.