System and a method for physiological monitoring

• US 8,265,907 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LifeWatch Technologies Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Card Guard Scientific Survival Limited (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Nanikashvili, Reuven, Geva, Nir, Geva, Yacov
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/468,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20100117835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702182-185, 702/117, 702/118, 600/301
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A personal health monitor, including: (a) a physiological data input device operative to gather physiological data; (b) a detachable module that is detachably connected to a multi-purpose personal data accessory, operative to transmit the physiological data to the multi-purpose personal data accessory; and (c) the multi-purpose personal data accessory, whereas the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to receive the physiological data, process the physiological data to provide processed physiological data and control a long range transmission of the processed physiological data to a remote entity.

Claims

1. A personal health monitor, comprising:

a physiological data input device operative to gather physiological data;

a detachable module that is detachably coupled to a multi-purpose personal data accessory, operative to transmit the physiological data to the multi-purpose personal data accessory; and

the multi-purpose personal data accessory, whereas the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to receive the physiological data, process the physiological data to provide processed physiological data and control a long range transmission of the processed physiological data to a remote entity.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a controllable sensor, wherein the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute the health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to process physiological data that is received from the physiological data input device and to activate the controllable sensor in response to a result of the processing.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensor, wherein the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute the health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to process physiological data that is received from the physiological data input device and to control the long range transmission of the processed physiological data to the remote entity to selectively transmit processed physiological data of the second sensor in response to a result of the processing.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a location determination circuitry for providing location information to the multi-purpose personal data accessory, wherein the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute the health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to process the location information to determine an activity status of a user, and to process the physiological data that is received from the physiological data input device in response to the activity status.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the location determination circuitry is configured to provide location information from an accelerometer of the system.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute the health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to process the location information to selectively provide a falling alert.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an environmental sensor operative to gather environmental data, wherein the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute the health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to process the physiological data that is received from the physiological data input device in response to the environmental data.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detachable module includes a processor that is adapted to execute a second health monitoring software such as to enable the processor to receive the physiological data, process the physiological data to provide locally processed physiological data and to selectively provide alerts in response to the locally processed physiological data.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor of the detachable module is further adapted to control a long range transmission of the locally processed physiological data to the remote entity by a cellular modem that is coupled to the processor and which is external to the multi-purpose personal data accessory.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detachable module comprises a storage compartment for storing medication, wherein the system is further configured to provide medication regime timing alerts.

11. A method for health monitoring, comprising:

gathering physiological data by a physiological data input device;

transmitting the physiological data to the multi-purpose personal data accessory by a detachable module that is detachably coupled to the multi-purpose personal data accessory;

executing health monitoring software by the multi-purpose personal data accessory, to process the physiological data to provide processed physiological data; and

transmitting the processed physiological data to a remote entity.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the processing of the physiological data is followed by activating a controllable sensor in response to a result of the processing.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the processing of the physiological data is followed by controlling a transmission of the processed physiological data to the remote entity to selectively transmit processed physiological data of a sensor other than the physiological data input device in response to a result of the processing.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing location information by a location determination circuitry, processing the location information to determine an activity status of a user, wherein the processing of the physiological data is responsive to the activity status.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the providing of the location information comprises providing location information gathered by an accelerometer of the system.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the processing of the location information comprises processing the location information to selectively provide a falling alert.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising gathering environmental data by an environmental sensor, wherein the processing of the physiological data comprises processing the physiological data in response to the environmental data.

18. The method according to claim 11, comprising executing a second health monitoring software by a processor of the detachable module, whereas the processor processes the physiological data to provide locally processed physiological data;

and selectively providing alerts, by the processor, in response to the locally processed physiological data.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising controlling by the processor of the detachable module a long range transmission of the locally processed physiological data to the remote entity by a cellular modem that is coupled to the processor and which is external to the multi-purpose personal data accessory.

20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing medication regime timing alerts for medications that are stored in a storage compartment of the detachable module.