Hard disk drive medical monitor with mirrored HDDs

• US 7,278,967 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Flechsig, Karl Arthur, Gillis, Donald Ray, Feliss, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kowalewski; Filip A.
• Application Number:
  US10/881,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 128/899, 128903-905, 128920-925, 361/685, 607 30- 32, 248/694, 711/114
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• 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 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• 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 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0255 Recording instruments specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/413 Monitoring transplanted tissue or organ, e.g. for possible rejection reactions after a transplant
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/905 Feedback to patient of biological signal other than brain electric signal

Abstract

A medical monitor is disclosed for implantation in a human body for monitoring biological activity and states as detected by implanted sensors. The medical monitor includes a primary disk drive and a secondary disk drive, where the secondary disk drive mirrors the primary disk drive. An enclosure surrounds at least one of the primary and secondary drives. A transmitter and receiver for produces and transmits signals. The medical monitor is in communication with the sensors, by which information on biological activity and states is stored on the primary disk drive, and the secondary disk drive.

Claims

1. A medical monitor for implantation in the user'"'"'s body for monitoring data on biological activity and states gathered from sensors implanted in the user'"'"'s body, said medical monitor comprising:

a primary disk drive and a secondary disk drive, wherein said secondary disk drive mirrors said primary disk drive, said primary drive and a secondary drive being in communication with each other, to provide disk drive data redundancy and data backup, and where said disk drive data redundancy and data backup is accomplished by an operating configuration chosen from the group consisting of RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 0+1 techniques;

an alert mechanism which signals the user that a back-up to said secondary hard disk drive is scheduled to be performed;

an enclosure surrounding said primary drive and said secondary drive, where said enclosure is adapted to be implanted within the body of a user; and

a transmitter and receiver for producing and transmitting signals, said medical monitor being in communication with said sensors, by which information on biological activity and states is stored on said primary and secondary disk drives.

2. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said alert mechanism includes a piezo micro-speaker.

3. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said alert mechanism includes a vibration motor.

4. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said alert mechanism is a local alert.

5. The medical monitor of claim 1, wherein:

said alert mechanism is a remote alert.

6. A system for monitoring biological activity and states in the body of a user, comprising:

a medical HDD monitor, including a primary disk drive and a secondary disk drive, wherein said secondary disk drive mirrors said primary disk drive, said primary drive and a secondary drive being in communication with each other, to provide disk drive data redundancy and data backup, and where said disk drive data redundancy and data backup is accomplished by an operating configuration chosen from the group consisting of RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 0+1 techniques, an alert mechanism which signals the user that a back-up to said secondary hard disk drive is scheduled to be performed, and a transmitter and a receiver for producing and transmitting signals in the radio frequency range;

an enclosure surrounding said primary drive and said secondary drive, where said enclosure is adapted to be implanted within the body of a user;

at least one sensor for communicating data from at least one site in said body of said user to said medical HDD monitor; and

an external programming interface which communicates with said medical HDD monitor by radio frequency transmission, in order to set performance parameters of said medical HDD monitor.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

an external programming device which is in radio frequency communication with said medical HDD monitor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said external programming device is chosen from a group consisting of hand-held computers and laptop computers.