Physiological monitoring garment

• US 7,559,902 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Farrell, Brian, Ting, Joseph, Bowman, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Mallari; Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Toth; Karen E
• Application Number:
  US10/922,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/529
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A physiological monitoring garment includes first and second elastic fabric portions. An elongate stretchable textile data/power bus is disposed between the first and second elastic fabric portions. The elongate stretchable textile data/power bus includes a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof. One or more sensors are connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus.

Claims

1. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

a first fabric portion;

a second fabric portion;

an elongate stretchable textile data/power bus between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof in a strain relief pattern;

a respiration monitoring device connected to said textile data/power bus and including;

a first elongate stretchable textile member,

a first conductive component associated with said textile member,

a second conductive component associated with said textile member, and

threads of the textile member providing dielectric separation between the first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of said textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components; and

at least two sensors connected to the textile data/power bus, the sensors each including;

a flexible circuit board configured as an electrode,

a conductive portion on one surface of said flexible circuit board, and

a dielectric material on said conductive portion.

2. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an elastic fabric portion;

at least one elongate stretchable textile data/power bus disposed on the elastic fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof in a strain relief pattern;

a respiration monitoring device connected to said textile data/power bus and including;

a first elongate stretchable textile member,

a first conductive component associated with said textile member,

a second conductive component associated with said textile member, and

threads of the textile member providing dielectric separation between the first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of said textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components; and

at least two sensors connected to the textile data/power bus, the sensors each including;

a flexible circuit board configured as an electrode,

a conductive portion on one surface of said flexible circuit board, and

a dielectric material on said conductive portion.

3. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

a first fabric portion;

a second fabric portion;

an elongate stretchable textile data/power bus between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof in a strain relief pattern; and

a respiration monitoring device connected to the data/power bus and including;

a first elongate stretchable textile member,

a first conductive component associated with said textile member,

a second conductive component associated with said textile member, and

threads of the textile member providing dielectric separation between the first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of said textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components.

4. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 3 further including at least a third elastic fabric portion and at least a second elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof, and one or more sensors connected to said at least second elongate stretchable textile data/power bus.

5. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an elastic fabric portion;

at least one elongate stretchable textile data/power bus disposed on the elastic fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof in a strain relief pattern; and

a respiration monitoring device connected to the data/power bus and including;

a first elongate stretchable textile member,

a first conductive component associated with said textile member,

a second conductive component associated with said textile member, and

threads of the textile member providing dielectric separation between the first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of said textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components.

6. A respiration monitoring device comprising:

a first elongate stretchable textile member;

a first conductive component associated with said textile member;

a second conductive component associated with said textile member; and

threads of the textile member providing dielectric separation between the first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of the textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components.

7. The respiration monitoring device of claim 6 in which the first conductive component includes woven, knitted, or braided conductive threads integral with said textile member.

8. The respiration monitoring device of claim 7 in which there are first and second elongate stretchable textile members adjacent each other and each conductive material sputtered or plated on said flexible circuit board.

9. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

a first elastic fabric portion;

a second elastic fabric portion;

an elongate stretchable textile data/power bus between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof; and

one or more sensors connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus, one of said sensors including a respiration monitoring device, said respiration monitoring device including;

at least a first elongate stretchable textile member,

at least first and second conductive components associated with said textile member, and

threads of said textile member providing dielectric separation between the at least first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of the textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components for measuring change in capacitance.

10. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 9 in which the first conductive component includes woven, knitted, or braided conductive threads integral with said first textile member.

11. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 10 in which there are a plurality of elongate stretchable textile members adjacent each other and each includes integral woven, knitted, or braided conductive threads.

12. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 9 in which said respiration monitoring device is disposed in or on said garment proximate said data/power bus.

13. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

a first elastic fabric portion;

a second elastic fabric portion;

an elongate stretchable textile data/power bus between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof; and

one or more sensors connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus, one of said sensors including;

a flexible circuit board configured as an electrode in which an opposing surface of said flexible circuit board includes signal conditioning circuitry,

a conductive portion on one surface of said flexible circuit board, and

a dielectric material on said conductive portion.

14. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 13 in which said flexible circuit board is connected to a second flexible circuit board including signal conditioning circuitry.

15. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 13 further including conductive traces interconnecting said conductive portion with said signal conditioning circuitry.

16. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 13 in which the flexible circuit board is configured to include at least two electrodes.

17. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 16 in which the two electrodes each include signal conditioning circuitry.

18. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

a first elastic fabric portion;

a second elastic fabric portion;

an elongate stretchable textile data/power bus between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof; and

one or more sensors connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus in which at least one said sensor includes;

a flexible circuit board configured to include at least two electrodes in which the two electrodes each include signal conditioning circuitry,

a conductive portion on one surface of said flexible circuit board, and

a dielectric material on said conductive portion.

19. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an elastic fabric portion;

at least one elongate stretchable textile data/power bus disposed on the elastic fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof; and

one or more sensors connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus, one of said sensors including a respiration monitoring device which includes;

at least a first elongate stretchable textile member,

at least first and second conductive components associated with said textile member, and

threads of said textile member providing dielectric separation between the at least first and second conductive components so that the expansion and contraction of the textile member results in a change in the spacing between the first and second conductive components for measuring change in capacitance.

20. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 19 in which the first conductive component includes woven, knitted, or braided conductive threads integral with said first textile member.

21. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 20 in which there are a plurality of elongate stretchable textile members adjacent each other and each includes integral woven, knitted, or braided conductive threads.

22. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 19 in which said respiration monitoring device is disposed in or on said garment proximate said data/power bus.

23. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an elastic fabric portion;

at least one elongate stretchable textile data/power bus disposed on the elastic fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof; and

one or more sensors connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus, one said sensor including;

a flexible circuit board configured as an electrode in which an opposing surface of said flexible circuit board includes signal conditioning circuitry,

a conductive portion on one surface of said flexible circuit board, and

a dielectric material on said conductive portion.

24. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 23 in which said flexible circuit board is connected to a second flexible circuit board including signal conditioning circuitry.

25. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 23 further including conductive traces interconnecting said conductive portion with said signal conditioning circuitry.

26. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 23 in which the flexible circuit board is configured to include at least two electrodes.

27. The physiological monitoring garment of claim 26 in which the two electrodes each include signal conditioning circuitry.

28. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an elastic fabric portion;

at least one elongate stretchable textile data/power bus disposed on the elastic fabric portion, the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus including a plurality of integral conductors, woven, knitted, or braided along the length thereof; and

one or more sensors connected to the elongate stretchable textile data/power bus in which at least one said sensor includes;

a flexible circuit board configured to include at least two electrodes in which the two electrodes each include signal conditioning circuitry,

a conductive portion on one surface of said flexible circuit board, and

a dielectric material on said conductive portion.