Internal monitoring and behavior control system

• US 6,154,676 A
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Levine
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H.
• Application Number:
  US09/458,087
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 607/58, 607/900, 128/903
• US Class Current: 607/58
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 607/90 Substance abuse therapy

Abstract

An open-loop internal monitoring system includes a plurality of internal radio transmitters, a plurality of external radio receivers, and a central processor for alerting a system monitor if a subject is outside a predetermined unauthorized location, the central processor being connected to the external radio receivers by relays. The open-loop system may alternatively include a substance monitoring unit. A closed-loop internal monitoring system for controlling one or more transmission parameters of the internal radio is also provided, the closed-loop system further including an external radio transmitter for transmitting a command relayed from the central processor and internal radio receivers for receiving the command. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system uses a behavior control unit having a stimulating electrode or chemical micropump for producing an adverse reaction within the subject upon receipt of a command from the central processor.

Claims

1. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system comprising:

a plurality of internal radio transmitters, each said internal radio transmitter being implanted in a human for transmitting a plurality of signal pulses, each said signal pulse being encoded with at least information uniquely identifying one said internal radio transmitter;

a plurality of substance monitoring units, each said substance monitoring unit implanted in a different one of said humans and electrically connected to said implanted internal radio transmitter for detecting the presence of a predetermined amount of a predetermined substance in said one human, wherein said plurality of signal pulses are further encoded with information regarding the detection of said predetermined substance;

a plurality of external radio receivers, each said external radio receiver for receiving each of said plurality of signal pulses transmitted by each of said plurality of internal radio transmitters and for generating a plurality of received signal data, each received signal datum corresponding to each said received signal pulse and including at least said internal radio transmitter identifying information decoded from said received signal pulse and said substance detection information;

a central processor for generating a command upon occurrence of said detection of the predetermined substance in said human as determined from said pluralities of received signal data from said plurality of external radio receivers, wherein said command includes information uniquely identifying said human in which said detection occurred;

a plurality of relays, each relay for relaying said plurality of received signal data from each said external radio receiver to said central processor;

a plurality of behavior control units, each said behavior control unit implanted in a different one of said humans and electrically connected to said implanted internal radio transmitter for causing an unpleasant reaction in said one human upon receipt of said command;

a plurality of internal radio receivers, each said internal radio receiver implanted in a different one of said humans and electrically connected to said implanted behavior control unit, for receiving said command generated by said central processor and, if said command is intended for said one human as determined by said unique human identification information, relaying said command to said connected behavior control unit;

an external radio transmitter for transmitting said command to said plurality of internal radio receivers; and

a second relay for relaying said command from said central processor to said external radio transmitter.

2. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system according to claim 1, each said behavior control unit further comprising:

an electrode, a first end of said electrode being surgically attached to an organ of said human and a second end of said electrode being electrically connected to said electrical stimulator;

an electrode stimulator for electrically charging said electrode with a stimulating voltage for a predetermined period of time upon receipt of said command by said internal radio receiver, and thereby disturbing said organ and causing said unpleasant reaction in said human.

3. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system according to claim 2, wherein said stimulating voltage is varied.

4. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system according to claim 2, each said behavior control unit further comprising:

an oxygen sensor, said oxygen sensor for detecting the presence of a predetermined amount of oxygen surrounding at least one of the components of said system mounted internally of the subject and relaying said oxygen detection to said connected internal radio transmitter,

wherein said internal radio transmitter further encodes said plurality of signal pulses with information regarding said oxygen detection, said received signal data further includes said oxygen detection information, and said central processor notifies a monitor of said monitoring system of said oxygen detection.

5. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system according to claim 1 each said behavior control unit further comprising:

a dispensing tube;

a connecting tube;

a chemical reservoir for storing a chemical capable of causing said unpleasant reaction in said human; and

a calibrated micropump connected to said chemical reservoir by said connecting tube for dispensing through said dispensing tube a predetermined dosage of said chemical from said chemical reservoir upon receipt of said command by said internal radio receiver, thereby causing said unpleasant reaction in said human.

6. A closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system according to claim 1 each said behavior control unit further comprising:

a dispensing tube;

a chemical reservoir partitioned into a first and second subreservoir, the first subreservoir for storing a chemical capable of causing said unpleasant reaction in said human and the second subreservoir for storing an antidote to said chemical capable of negating said unpleasant reaction in said human;

a first connecting tube extending from said first subreservoir;

a second connecting tube extending from said second reservoir; and

a calibrated micropump connected to said first subreservoir by said first connecting tube and connected to said second subreservoir by said second connecting tube, said calibrated micropump for dispensing through said dispensing tube a first predetermined dosage of said chemical from said first subreservoir upon receipt of a first command by said internal radio receiver, thereby causing said unpleasant reaction in said human, and for dispensing through said dispensing tube a second predetermined dosage of said antidote from said second subreservoir upon receipt of a second command by said internal radio receiver, thereby negating said unpleasant reaction in said human.