Physiological sensor array

• US 6,494,829 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clearpath Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nexan Limited
• Inventors: Johnson, Paul, New, William Jr., Kumar, Harpal S., Place, John D., Harry, Andrea J., Nicolson, Laurence J., Mullarkey, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASTORINO, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/292,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300-301, 600/481-486, 600/500, 600/529-538, 600/508, 600/544-545, 128/903-904, 128/920-925
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A physiological sensor device for attachment to a mammalian subject comprising an output transmitter, at least two physiological sensors each for sensing one of the subject'"'"'s physiological parameters, and a controller operably in communication with the physiological sensors which controller communicates a signal comprising data representative of both the sensed physiological parameters to the output transmitter which operably transmits the signal to a remote location, wherein the controller comprises a multiplexer which operably switches the data from both the physiological sensors into a serial output signal. Respiration may be detected by a bend sensor including an elongate member and an electrical component mounted thereon which electrical component has an electrical property which varies in dependence on the extent of bending of the elongate member. Other parameters such as temperature and full waveform ECG may also be measured.

Claims

1. A physiological sensor device for attachment to a mammalian subject comprising an output transmitter, at least two physiological sensors each for sensing one of the subject'"'"'s physiological parameters, and a controller operably in communication with the physiological sensors which controller samples outputs of said sensors at different sampling rates and communicates a signal comprising data representative of both the sensed physiological parameters to said output transmitter, which operably transmits the signal to a remote location, wherein the controller comprises a multiplexer which interleaves the sampled data from the physiological sensors into a serial output signal.

2. A physiological sensor device according to claim 1 wherein the multiplexer is implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

3. A physiological sensor device according to claim 2 wherein the output transmitter enables wireless transmission of the signal to the remote location.

4. A physiological sensor device according to claim 1 wherein the controller samples an analog signal from the physiological sensors and converts the sampled analog signal into a digital signal for presentation to the output transmitter.

5. A physiological sensor device according to claim 1 wherein said at least two physiological sensors comprises at least two from an ECG sensor, a respiration sensor, a motion sensor, and a temperature sensor.

6. A physiological sensor device according to claim 5 wherein said at least two physiological sensors comprises a first respiration sensor and a second respiration sensor.

7. A physiological sensor device according to claim 6 wherein at least one of the first respiration sensor and second respiration sensor comprises a bend sensor.

8. A physiological sensor device according to claim 1 wherein a first physiological sensor operably detects ECG data and the controller operably communicates a signal representative of the ECG data to the output transmitter at a first sampling frequency, and a second physiological sensor operably detects at least one of respiration, motion, and temperature data and operably communicates a signal representative of said at least one data at a second sampling frequency to the output transmitter.

9. A physiological sensor device according to claim 8 wherein the first sampling frequency is greater than the second sampling frequency.

10. A physiological sensor device according to claim 9 wherein the first sampling frequency is approximately ten times greater than the second sampling frequency.

11. A physiological sensor device according to claim 10 wherein the first sampling frequency is on the order of 250 Hz.

12. A portable physiological sensor device comprising a plurality of electrode sensors for use in measuring electrocardiographic data and respiratory data of a subject, wherein at least one of the electrode sensors is used in both the electrocardiographic and respiratory measurements, wherein a signal from at least one of said plurality of electrode sensors is sampled periodically at a first sampling frequency by an ECG measuring device and periodically at a second sampling frequency by a respiration measuring device, and an output transmitter responsive to outputs of said electrode sensors so as to enable wireless transmission of the electrocardiographic data and respiratory data to a remote location.

13. A physiological sensor device according to claim 12 wherein the first sampling frequency is greater than the second sampling frequency.

14. A physiological sensor device according to claim 13 wherein the first sampling frequency is approximately ten times greater than the second sampling frequency.

15. A physiological sensor device according to claim 14 wherein the first sampling frequency is on the order of 250 Hz and the second sampling frequency is on the order of 25 Hz.

16. A physiological sensor device for attachment to a mammalian subject comprising a sensor for acquiring physiological data about the subject in use, and an output transmitter which receives a signal representative of the physiological data from the sensor and transmits the signal to a remote location, wherein the output transmitter comprises an inductive element for inductively coupling the output transmitter to a remote receiver at the remote location.

17. A physiological sensor device according to claim 16 wherein the output transmitter comprises a reservoir capacitor in parallel with the inductive element.

18. A physiological sensor device according to claim 16 wherein the inductive element has first and second ends each of which ends is connected via a pair of switches to signal supply lines within the output transmitter to enable a reversing of the polarity across the inductive element between the supply lines.

19. A physiological sensor device according to claim 16 wherein the inductive element comprises a coil which forms part of an H-bridge circuit in the output transmitter.

20. A physiological sensor device according to claim 16 wherein the inductive element comprises a rectangular substantially flat coil.

21. A physiological sensor device for attachment to a mammalian subject, having one or more physiological sensors, an output transmitter for transmitting a signal from the one or more physiological sensors to a remote location, a memory for storing a serial number for identifying the physiological sensor device which serial number is transmittable by the output transmitter with the signal, and a random number generator and a controller for selecting a randomly generated number from the random number generator and storing the selected randomly generated number as the device serial number in the memory.