Wireless nanotechnology based system for diagnosis of neurological and physiological disorders

• US 8,348,841 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanowear Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas (University of Arkansas System)
• Inventors: Varadan, Vijay K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORIANO, BOBBY GILES
• Application Number:
  US12/757,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20110251469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600529-536, 600/587
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0285 Nanoscale sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A wireless system for neurological and physiological monitoring of a patient. The system includes a patient monitoring unit having a headcap and a belt. The headcap includes a wireless communication module, an antenna, and an amplifier. The headcap further includes at least one of a biopotential electrode, a temperature sensor, a rotation sensor, an accelerometer, and an airflow sensor. The belt includes a respiration sensor comprising a carbon nanotube-based strain sensor. The system also includes a base receiver-server unit including a wireless receiving unit, a data storage unit, and a network communications unit. The system also includes a client monitoring unit which includes a processor, a network communications unit operably coupled to the processor, and a storage medium operably coupled to the processor, wherein the storage medium includes program instructions executable by the processor for receiving and processing data from the patient monitoring unit.

Claims

1. A wireless system for neurological and physiological monitoring of a patient, comprising:

a patient monitoring unit comprising a headcap and a belt,

the headcap including a wireless communication module, an antenna, and an amplifier, further including

a biopotential electrode,

a temperature sensor,

a rotation sensor,

an accelerometer, and

an airflow sensor,

the belt including

a respiration sensor comprising a flexible and printable nanotechnology-based strain sensor,

a base receiver-server unit including

a wireless receiving unit,

a data storage unit, and

a network communications unit, and

a client monitoring unit including

a processor,

a network communications unit operably coupled to the processor, and

a storage medium operably coupled to the processor, wherein the storage medium includes program instructions executable by the processor for receiving and processing data from the patient monitoring unit.

2. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the biopotential electrode is configured to measure at least one of an electroencephalogram (EEG) and an electrooculogram (EOG).

3. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thin film transistor-based temperature sensor.

4. The wireless system of claim 1, the system further comprising a leg monitoring unit, the leg monitoring unit including at least one accelerometer to measure leg motion.

5. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the flexible and printable nanotechnology-based strain sensor of the belt of the patient monitoring unit comprises a pentacene-carbon nanotube composite organic semiconductor.

6. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the belt further comprises a plurality of biopotential electrodes configured to monitor an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG).

7. The wireless system of claim 6, wherein the biopotential electrode comprises at least one of a flexible and printable nanotechnology-based sensor, a dry carbon nanotube array-based electrode, and a dry gold nanowire array-based electrode.

8. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the biopotential electrode comprises at least one of a flexible and printable nanotechnology-based sensor, a dry carbon nanotube array-based electrode, and a dry gold nanowire array-based electrode.

9. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein one or more biopotential electrodes are separate from either the headcap or the belt.

10. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module, antenna, and amplifier are housed in a form factor that is embedded in at least one of the headcap and the belt.

11. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module, antenna, and amplifier are housed in a form factor that is tethered to at least one of the headcap and the belt.

21. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the flexible and printable nanotechnology-based strain sensor comprises at least one of a carbon nanotube-based strain sensor and a textile-based strain sensor.

12. A patient monitoring unit for neurological and physiological monitoring of a patient, comprising:

a headcap including a wireless communication module, an antenna, an amplifier, a biopotential electrode, a temperature sensor, a rotation sensor, an accelerometer, and an airflow sensor, the patient monitoring unit further comprising a respiration sensor including a flexible and printable nanotechnology-based strain sensor.

13. The patient monitoring unit of claim 12, wherein the biopotential electrode is configured to measure at least one of an electroencephalogram (EEG) and an electrooculogram (EOG).

14. The patient monitoring unit of claim 12, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thin film transistor-based temperature sensor.

15. The patient monitoring unit of claim 12, the system further comprising a leg monitoring unit, the leg monitoring unit including at least one accelerometer to measure leg motion.

16. The patient monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the flexible and printable nanotechnology-based strain sensor of the belt comprises a carbon nanotube-based strain sensor.

17. The patient monitoring unit of claim 16, wherein the belt further comprises a plurality of biopotential electrodes configured to monitor an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG).

18. The patient monitoring unit of claim 17, wherein one or more biopotential electrodes are separate from either the headcap or the belt.

19. The patient monitoring unit of claim 17, wherein the biopotential electrode comprises at least one of a flexible and printable nanotechnology-based sensor, a dry carbon nanotube array-based electrode, and a dry gold nanowire array-based electrode.

20. The patient monitoring unit of claim 12, wherein the biopotential electrode comprises at least one of a flexible and printable nanotechnology-based sensor, a dry carbon nanotube array-based electrode, and a dry gold nanowire array-based electrode.

22. The patient monitoring unit of claim 12, wherein the flexible and printable nanotechnology-based strain sensor comprises at least one of a carbon nanotube-based strain sensor and a textile-based strain sensor.