Biomedical response monitor and method using identification signal

• US 5,538,007 A
• Filed: 01/30/1995
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dr. Peter G. Gorman
• Original Assignee: Dr. Peter G. Gorman
• Inventors: Gorman, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/380,370
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 128/690, 128/706, 128/707, 128/903
• US Class Current: 600/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A monitor for measuring a biomedical response such as heartbeat rate, and an apparatus for using the monitor to control exercise equipment. The monitor includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit which can be located in the exercise equipment. The heart rate is determined and a first signal that can be used to determine heart rate (or is related to heart rate) is produced. An encoded digital signal identifying the transmitting unit is also produced. These signals are wirelessly sent to the receiving unit which determines if the signals are from the transmitting unit. Only if that is so is the first signal used to determine heart rate. If there are too many errors in the measured heart rate a new frequency of wireless transmission is used. If the errors are within a reasonable bound, the heart rate is sent to a memory and/or display. The receiving unit provides a signal to a parameter control means in the exercise equipment which automatically regulates the resistance offered to the user in accordance with the measured heart rate of the user, to provide a proper workout. Memory provides exercise profiles unique to the user. An identification unit allows each user to identify himself/herself to the equipment to access the proper stored exercise profile for that person.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the heartbeat of a person, comprising the following steps:

obtaining an ECG signal of heartbeat pulses from said person,

determining the heartbeat rate of said person from said ECG signal,

producing a signal having an encoded digital identification first portion and a second portion used to determine the heartbeat rate of said person,

wirelessly transmitting said first identification portion and said second portion of said signal to a display unit,

comparing said transmitted encoded first identification portion with a reference signal to determine if there is a match to said identification portion,

producing an electrical signal representing said heartbeat rate,

transmitting said electrical signal representing said heartbeat rate to a display viewable by said person only if said encoded identification portion successfully matches said reference signal, and

displaying said person'"'"'s heartbeat rate if there is a match between said first identification portion and said reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1, including the further step of storing selected information representing said heartbeat in a memory in said display unit for later display of said selected information.

3. A method for heartbeat monitoring of a person utilizing a transmitter unit which receives the person'"'"'s ECG signal, calculates the person'"'"'s heartbeat rate and transmits a first signal related to said heartbeat rate to a receiver unit for display to the person of his or her heartbeat including the steps of:

producing an encoded digital identification signal identifying said transmitter unit,

obtaining a person'"'"'s ECG signal,

producing from said ECG signal a first signal used to determine a person'"'"'s heartbeat rate,

wirelessly transmitting over a first frequency said encoded digital identification signal and said first signal to said receiver unit,

receiving said identification signal and said first signal in said receiver unit,

comparing said identification signal with a reference signal to determine if said identification signal matches said reference signal and discarding the received first signal if no such match is made,

determining the heartbeat rate in said receiver unit, and

displaying the person'"'"'s heartbeat rate if said identification signal matches said reference signal.

4. The method of claim 3, further including the step of changing said first frequency to a second frequency.

5. A heartbeat rate monitor, including:

sensor means for sensing a body signal from which heartbeat rate can be determined,

a transmitting means for producing an encoded digital identification signal identifying said transmitting means, said transmitting means including means for producing a first signal used to determine a person'"'"'s heartbeat rate, said transmitting means containing a transmitter for wireless transmission of said identification signal and said first signal to a display means and

a display means for producing a display of said person'"'"'s heartbeat rate, said display means including a receiver for receiving said wireless transmission of said identification signal and said first signal, means for determining if said received identification signal is from said transmitting means, means for detecting errors in the received first signal, said errors occurring during said wireless transmission from said transmitter to said receiver, means for correcting said errors and a display for displaying said heartbeat rate.

6. The monitor of claim 5, further including an exercise means on which said display means is located.

7. The monitor of claim 5, where said transmitting means includes means for digitally encoding said first signal and said display means includes means for using said digitally encoded first signal to determine said person'"'"'s heartbeat rate.

8. The monitor of claim 5, where said means for determining includes means for comparing said received identification signal with a reference signal produced by said display means to determine if said received first signal has been sent from said transmitting means.

9. The monitor of claim 8, where said means for detecting errors includes means for comparing said received first signal with a reference to determine if said received first signal corresponds to said first signal in said transmitting means.

10. A monitor for measuring and displaying a human body condition, comprising:

a transmitter unit including means for enabling said unit to be worn by a person to be monitored, said transmitter unit including;

sensor means for detecting a body signal,

means for using said body signal to produce a first electrical signal used to determine said condition,

encoder means for producing an encoded digital identification signal unique to said monitor,

transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting said encoded digital identification signal and said first electrical signal to a display unit,

a display unit for displaying information about said human body condition, said display unit including;

receiver means for receiving said encoded digital identification signal and said first electrical signal from said transmitter unit,

comparator means including means for receiving a reference signal input for comparison therewith for determining if said received identification signal and said first signal are from said transmitter unit,

means for rejecting said received first electrical signal if it is not from said transmitter unit, and

a display means for displaying to said person information representative of said human body condition.

11. The monitor of claim 10, where said human body condition is heartbeat rate and said monitor measures and displays heartbeat rate of said person, said display unit including means for removably securing the display unit to said person'"'"'s body.

12. The monitor of claim 10, further including exercise means on which said display means is located.

13. The monitor of claim 10, further including means for changing the frequency over which said wireless transmission is sent from said transmitting means to said receiver means.

14. A heartbeat rate monitor, comprising:

sensor means for sensing an ECG signal of heartbeat pulses,

a transmitting means for using said ECG signal for producing a first signal used to determine a person'"'"'s heartbeat rate, said transmitting means including a transmitter for wireless transmission over a frequency range of said first signal and an identification signal to a receiver in a display means,

encoding means for producing an encoded digital identification signal identifying said transmitting means,

a receiver for receiving said identification signal and said first signal sent via wireless transmission from said transmitting means,

means for determining if said received signals are from said transmitting means,

a display means for displaying the person'"'"'s heartbeat rate if said signals are from said transmitting means, and

error detection means for detecting errors in said first signal in said display means, said errors being caused during said wireless transmission,

error correction means for correcting said errors.

15. The monitor of claim 14, where said error correction means includes means for changing the frequency of wireless transmission from said transmitter to said receiver.

16. A method for heartbeat monitoring of a person using a transmitter means which transmits a signal related to a person'"'"'s heartbeat rate to a receiver means for display of the person'"'"'s heartbeat rate, including the steps of:

obtaining an ECG signal of heartbeat pulses from said person,

producing an encoded digital identification signal identifying said transmitter means and a first signal used to determine a person'"'"'s heartbeat rate,

wirelessly transmitting over a first frequency said digital identification signal and said first signal to said receiver means,

reading said identification signal in said receiver means to determine if it is from said transmitter means,

rejecting said received first signal if said identification signal is not from said transmitter means,

using said first signal if it is from said transmitter means to determine said person'"'"'s heartbeat rate,

comparing said first signal to a reference signal to determine if there are errors in said first signal received in said receiver means,

correcting said errors heartbeat, and

displaying the correct heartbeat rate.

17. A method for monitoring a human body condition comprising the steps of:

sensing said condition using a sensor to produce a body condition signal,

producing a first electrical signal from said body condition signal that can be used to measure said condition,

producing an encoded digital identification signal,

wirelessly transmitting said identification signal and said first signal over a first transmission frequency,

receiving said identification signal and said first signal,

producing a reference signal,

comparing said received identification signal with said reference signal to determine if there is a match to said reference signal,

using the received first signal to measure said human body condition if said match is obtained, and

displaying said human body condition to said person.

18. The method of claim 17, where said human body condition is said person'"'"'s heartbeat rate.

19. The monitor of claim 17, including the step of changing said first transmission frequency to a second transmission frequency.

20. A monitor for measuring and displaying a biomedical condition including:

sensor means for sensing a biomedical condition and producing an output,

a transmitting means including means for producing a first encoded digital signal identifying said transmitting means and means for using said sensor output to produce a second signal used to measure a biomedical condition, said transmitting means including a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting said first and second signals to a receiver over a first frequency,

a receiver for receiving said first encoded digital identification signal and said second signal,

identification means for determining if said received first identification signal is from said transmitting means,

means using said second signal to determine said biomedical condition, and

a display means for displaying said biomedical condition if said first signal is from said transmitting means.

21. The monitor of claim 20, further including means for electrically powering it by a battery.

22. The monitor of claim 20, where said transmitting means and said display means include means for removably securing said transmitting means and said display means to said person.

23. The monitor of claim 20, further including an exercise means on which said display means is located.

24. The monitor of claim 20, further including means for comparing said second signal received by said receiver to a reference signal to determine if transmission errors have occurred in said second signal.

25. The monitor of claim 24, further including means for changing the frequency over which said wireless transmission occurs from said first frequency to a second frequency.

26. The monitor of claim 20, further including means for changing the frequency over which said wireless transmission occurs from said first frequency to a second frequency.

27. The monitor of claim 20, where said biomedical condition is heartbeat rate.

28. The monitor of claim 27, further including means for changing said first frequency to a second frequency.

29. A heartbeat monitor, comprising:

a sensor for obtaining an ECG signal,

means for producing a data signal from said ECG signal, said data signal being used to determine heartbeat rate,

a transmitting unit for wireless transmission to a receiver,

means for producing an identification signal associated with said transmitting unit,

said transmitting unit including a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting said identification signal and said data signal over a first frequency to said receiver,

identification means using said received identification signal for determining if said data signal is from said transmitter,

means for providing a signal representing heartbeat rate to a display means, and

display means for displaying heartbeat rate if said data signal is from said transmitter.

30. The monitor of claim 29, where said identification means includes a comparison means for comparing said received identification signal to a reference signal to determine if said data signal is from said transmitter.

31. The monitor of claim 29, further including means for detecting the presence of errors in the received data signal, said errors being produced by said wireless transmission.

33. The monitor of claim 29, further including an exercise means on which said display means is located.

34. The monitor of claim 29, where said means for producing an identification signal includes an encoder means for producing an encoded identification signal.

35. The monitor of claim 29, where said data signal is an encoded signal.

36. The monitor of claim 29, further including means for electrically powering said monitor by a battery.

37. The monitor of claim 29, further including storage means for storing heartbeat rate information.

32. The monitor 31, further including means for changing said first frequency to a second frequency.

38. A method for monitoring the heartbeat rate of a person, comprising the steps of:

obtaining an ECG signal from a person,

producing an electrical signal from said ECG signal,

wirelessly transmitting said electrical signal over a first frequency from a transmitter to a receiver,

determining said heartbeat rate using said electrical signal,

changing the frequency over which said wireless transmission occurs from said first frequency to a second frequency, and

displaying said heartbeat rate.

39. The method of claim 38, where said determining step includes the step of determining said heartbeat rate in said receiver.

40. The method of claim 38, where said determining step includes the step of determining said heartbeat rate in said transmitter.

41. The method of claim 38, where said step of producing an electrical signal includes the step of encoding said electrical signal.

42. The method of claim 38, further including the step of producing an identification signal associated with said transmitter, said identification signal being wirelessly transmitted from said transmitter to said receiver.

43. A method for monitoring the heartbeat rate of a person comprising the steps of:

obtaining an ECG signal from a person,

producing an electrical signal representing heartbeat rate from said ECG signal,

wirelessly transmitting said electrical signal over a first frequency from a transmitter to a receiver,

changing the frequency over which said wireless transmission occurs from said first frequency to a second frequency, and

displaying said heartbeat rate.

44. A heartbeat rate monitor, comprising:

sensor means for obtaining an ECG signal,

means for producing a data signal from said ECG signal, said data signal representing heartbeat rate,

a transmitter,

identification means for producing an identification signal associated with said transmitter,

said transmitter wirelessly transmitting said data signal and said identification signal over a first frequency from said transmitter to a receiver,

a receiver for receiving said data signal and said identification signal,

comparison means for comparing said identification signal to a reference signal to determine if said data signal is from said transmitter, and

display means for displaying heartbeat rate if said data signal in said receiver is from said transmitter.

45. The monitor of claim 44, further including means for changing said first frequency to a second frequency.

46. The monitor of claim 44, further including means for producing a timing signal that is used to synchronize said transmitter and receiver, said timing signal being wirelessly transmitted from said transmitter to said receiver.

47. The monitor of claim 44, further including means for comparing the data signal in said receiver to a reference signal to detect errors in said received data signal.

48. The monitor of claim 47, further including correction means to correct said errors.