Device for measuring pulse, breathing and running rate for joggers

• US 4,202,350 A
• Filed: 05/15/1978
• Issued: 05/13/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Walton
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Walton
• Inventors: Walton, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US05/905,774
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.05 P, 128/2.05 R, 128/2.05 T, 128/2.06 F, 128/2.1 A, 128/25, 128/DIG. 29, 128/2.08, 128/687-690, 128/680-682, 128/672-673 , 128/700, 128/706-707, 128/722, 128/748, 73/724, 364/417, 364/701-703, 324/78 D, 324/79 D, 324/103 P, 324/65, 331/65
• US Class Current: 600/503
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof

Abstract

A wrist-mounted indicating device coupled to various parts of the body of the wearer for measuring and visually indicating the pulse rate, the breathing rate and the jogging rate during a running exercise.

Claims

1. A device for measuring body conditions of the wearer, comprising in combination:

means for sensing movement of the skin due to a body function;

support means for attaching said movement sensing means in close proximity to a selected section of skin exhibiting movement indicating the manner of functioning of a portion of the wearer'"'"'s body;

a variable frequency oscillator circuit having a component acting in response to the skin movement sensing means for varying the output frequency signal of the circuit in response to movement of the skin;

means for storing a plurality of successive samples of said output frequency signal; and

means for detecting and indicating when the frequency signal is increasing and decreasing in frequency by by detecting the polarity of the difference in frequency between adjacent samples of said output frequency signal to detect cycles of the body function being detected thereby to indicate the manner of functioning of the wearer'"'"'s body.

2. A device for measuring body conditions of the wearer, comprising in combination:

means for sensing movement of the skin due to pulse cycles in a wrist, comprising a capacitor having two plates, with one plate adapted to be mounted stationarily on the wrist and the other plate adapted to be mounted adjacent the wrist for movement with the skin as the pulse cycles vary the contour of the wrist;

means for attaching said skin movement sensing means on the wrist;

means for generating a first signal responsive to a change in capacitance of said capacitor, comprising a variable frequency oscillator having a tank circuit, said capacitor being connected in said tank circuit whereby the change in capacitance changes the oscillator output frequency to produce said first signal as an indication of pulse cycling;

means for determining the pulse cyclic rate from said first signal comprising means for sampling said first signal periodically within a pulse cycle, and means for comparing each sample of said first signal with the next sampled first signal to thereby detect cyclic changes in the frequency of said first signal representative of pulse cycling, and for generating output signals indicating a change in the progression of the frequency changes in the first signal; and

means responsive to said output signals for indicating the pulse cyclic rate to the wearer.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means responsive to said output signals indicates visually the pulse cyclic rate.