DETECTING AND COMMUNICATING HEALTH CONDITIONS

• US 20150173674A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Diabetes Sentry, Diabetes Sentry Products Inc.
• Original Assignee: Diabetes Sentry Products Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Timothy A., Russin, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/136,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173674A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• 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 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes 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: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• 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

This disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods for detecting physiological parameters, and for communicating information related to the detected physiological parameters to the user, the user'"'"'s caregiver, and medical personnel. For example, some systems described herein can be configured to detect a user'"'"'s hypoglycemic event, and to thereafter alert the user, caregivers, and medical personnel to the occurrence of the hypoglycemic event.

Claims

1. A wearable physiological sensing device comprising:

a housing that is configured to be worn by a user such that a portion of the housing is in contact with a skin surface of the user;

a perspiration sensor system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a level of perspiration on the skin surface of the user;

a temperature sensor system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a temperature of the skin surface of the user;

control circuitry disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a hypoglycemic event of the user in response to receiving sensor information from the perspiration sensor system indicative of the level of perspiration on the skin surface of the user and from the temperature sensor system indicative of the temperature of the skin surface of the user;

a user interface attached to the housing and configured to an output alarm when the control circuitry detects the hypoglycemic event of the user; and

a wireless communication device disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external devices.

2. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, comprising a GPS system at least partially within the housing.

3. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, comprising a pedometer system at least partially within the housing.

4. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, comprising one or more accelerometers at least partially within the housing.

5. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, comprising an oximetry system at least partially within the housing.

6. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, comprising an inductive battery charging system at least partially within the housing.

7. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, comprising a graphene-based glucose sensor system at least partially within the housing.

8. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device utilizes Bluetooth.

9. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, wherein the wearable physiological sensing device is configured to wear on a wrist of the user.

10. The wearable physiological sensing device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to engage with a docking station.

11. A wearable physiological sensing and response system, the system comprising:

a wearable physiological sensing device comprising;

a housing that is configured to be worn by a user such that a portion of the housing is in contact with a skin surface of the user;

a physiological sensor positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a physiological parameter of the user via contact with the skin surface of the user; and

a wireless communication device disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external devices; and

a computing device that is separate from the wearable physiological sensing device and that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device such that the computing device is configured to provide notifications of physiological alarm events in response to receiving an alarm event communication from the wireless communication device of the wearable physiological sensing device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the physiological sensor comprises a perspiration sensor system or a temperature sensor system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is a smartphone.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication device and the smartphone are configured to communicate using Bluetooth.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to wirelessly provide notifications of physiological alarm events in response to receiving an alarm event communication from the wireless communication device of the wearable physiological sensing device to a second computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to wirelessly provide the notifications of physiological alarm events in response to receiving an alarm event communication from the wireless communication device of the wearable physiological sensing device to a second computing device using WiFi.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to wirelessly provide the notifications of physiological alarm events in response to receiving an alarm event communication from the wireless communication device of the wearable physiological sensing device to a second computing device via a SMS text message.

18. A method for monitoring a user'"'"'s physiological parameters, the method comprising:

placing a wearable physiological sensing device in contact with a skin surface of the user, wherein the wearable physiological sensing device comprises;

a housing that is configured to be worn by the user such that a portion of the housing is in contact with the skin surface of the user;

a perspiration sensor system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a level of perspiration on the skin surface of the user;

a temperature sensor system disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a temperature of the skin surface of the user; and

a wireless communication module disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to send and receive wireless communications to and from one or more other devices;

monitoring the level of perspiration on the skin surface of the user and the temperature of the skin surface of the user;

determining, based on the monitored level of perspiration on the skin surface of the user and the monitored temperature of the skin surface of the user, whether a physiological alarm condition exists;

initiating, based on a determination that a physiological alarm condition exists, a first alarm notification at the wearable physiological sensing device, and sending a wireless alarm event communication from the wireless communication module;

receiving, at a second device that is not connected to the wearable physiological sensing device, the alarm event communication sent from the wireless communication module; and

providing, in response to receiving the alarm event communication sent from the wireless communication module, a second alarm notification at the second device.

19. A wearable physiological sensing device comprising:

a wearable housing including an exterior surface configured to contact with a skin surface of the user;

at least one physiological parameter sensor positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to detect physiological parameter via the skin surface of the user;

control circuitry disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to detect a health alarm event of the user in response to receiving sensor information from the physiological parameter sensor;

a user interface attached to the housing and configured to an output alarm when the control circuitry detects the health alarm event; and

a wireless communication device mounted at least partially within the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external devices.

20. A system comprising:

wearable physiological sensing device, including;

a wearable housing including an exterior surface configured to contact with a skin surface of the user;

at least one physiological parameter sensor positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to detect physiological parameter via the skin surface of the user;

a wireless communication device mounted at least partially within the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external devices

wherein wearable physiological sensing device is configured to detect a health alarm event of the user in response to receiving sensor information from the physiological parameter sensor; and

a computing device that is separate from the wearable physiological sensing device and that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device, wherein the computing device outputs notifications of physiological alarm events in response to receiving an alarm event communication from the wireless communication device of the wearable physiological sensing device.