SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING BIOMETRIC SIGNALS

• US 20150230719A1
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAD Apparel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MAD Apparel Incorporated
• Inventors: Berg, James, Butt, Hamid, Jayalath, Dhananja
• Granted Patent: US 10,321,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0214 Capacitive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/125 characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/14 Coupling media or elements to improve sensor contact with skin or tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• 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 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0001 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2855/02 : ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0005 : Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/26 : Sealing devices, e.g. packaging for pistons or pipe joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/34 : Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A system for monitoring biometric signals of a user comprising: a garment configured to be worn by the user and comprising a mounting module having an array of connection regions; a set of biometric sensors coupled to the garment and configured to communicate with the array of connection regions to receive and transmit biometric signals indicative of muscle activity of the user; and a portable control module configured to couple to the garment in a first configuration and to decouple from the garment in a second configuration and comprising: a housing comprising an array of openings; a set of contacts, each including a first region that seals at least one of the array of openings and couples to at least one of the array of connection regions in the first configuration, and an electronics subsystem coupled to the housing and in communication with a second region of each contact.

Claims

1. A system for providing an electrical signal conduction pathway in a waterproof manner, the system including:

a first housing portion including an array of openings;

an electronics connection substrate, coupled to the first housing portion and including a set of electrical contact pads; and

set of contacts, each contact in the set of contacts having

     1) a first region that seals, in a watertight manner, an opening of the array of openings of the first housing portion at an exterior surface of the first housing portion,

     2) an intermediate region that passes into the opening of the array of openings, and

     3) a second region coupled to an electrical contact pad of the set of electrical contact pads,

wherein each contact in the set of contacts is configured to conduct an electrical signal to at least one electrical contact pad of the electronics connection substrate for signal transmission to an electronics subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each electrical contact pad in the set of electrical contact pads includes a port through which the second region of at least one contact of the array of contacts is coupled.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the port of each electrical contact pad passes entirely through a thickness of the electronics connection substrate.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second region of each contact passes through a corresponding port of the set of electrical contact pads, and is molded to a second surface of the electronics connection substrate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each contact of the set of contacts is composed of an electrically conductive polymer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics connection substrate comprises a flexible printed circuit board that complies with an internal surface of the first housing portion, and wherein the system further includes a linking interface that couples each of the set of electrical contact pads to the electronics subsystem for signal processing and transmission.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of electrical contact pads of the electronics connection substrate is paired with the array of openings of the first housing portion in a one-to-one manner.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each contact of the set of contacts is physically isolated from adjacent contacts of the set of contacts, and wherein the first housing portion is composed of a non-electrically conductive material.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second housing portion coupled to the first housing portion, with a water tight seal at an interface between the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion enclose a) the intermediate regions and the second regions of the set of contacts, b) the electronics connection substrate, and 3) the electronics subsystem.

11. A method of manufacturing a waterproof electrical connection system, the method comprising:

providing a first housing portion including an array of openings;

providing an electronics connection substrate having a set of electrical contact pads, each electrical contact pad in the set of electrical contact pads having a port;

aligning the array of openings of the first housing portion with the set of electrical contact pads of the electronics connection substrate;

injecting a conductive polymer, in a flow state, through the port of each of the set of electrical contact pads, and through an associated opening of the array of openings of the first housing portion;

bonding the conductive polymer, in a set state, at an exterior surface of the first housing portion, thereby providing water tight seals at each of the array of openings of the first housing portion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein aligning the array of openings of the first housing portion with the set of electrical contact pads of the electronics connection substrate comprises aligning the first housing portion, with the electronics connection substrate, within a mold having a set of recesses aligned with the array of openings of the first housing portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein injecting the conductive polymer comprises injecting the conductive polymer through the port of each of the set of electrical contact pads, toward the set of recesses of the mold, thereby forming an array of protrusions that seal the array of openings of the first housing portion, while coupling the conductive polymer to the electronics connection substrate.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein injecting the conductive polymer comprises injecting the conductive polymer through a set of injection gates corresponding to the set of electrical contact pads.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein injecting the conductive polymer comprises removing portions of the conductive polymer between at least one of:

adjacent electrical contact pads of the set of electrical contact pads and adjacent openings of the array of openings, thereby preventing bridging across electrical contact pads of the set of electrical contact pads.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein injecting the conductive polymer comprises injecting a first portion of the conductive polymer through the array of openings of the first housing portion, injecting a second portion of the conductive polymer through the port of each of the set of electrical contact pads, and coupling the first portion of the conductive polymer to the second portion of the conductive polymer.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling an electronics subsystem to a linking interface of the electronics connection substrate, wherein the linking interface is in communication with each of the set of electrical contact pads.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising coupling a second housing portion to the first housing portion, with the electronics subsystem and the electronics connection substrate enclosed within the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a seal between the first housing portion and the second housing portion, thereby manufacturing the waterproof electrical connection system.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein injecting the conductive polymer comprises applying an adhesion-promoting primer at least at one of the set of electrical contact pads and a surface of the first housing portion, proximal the array of openings.