Microphone for remote health sensing

• US 8,628,478 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Point Devices LLC
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Andrew, Conte, Thomas Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US12/392,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 600/509, 600/514, 600/516, 600/528, 607/60
• US Class Current: 600/528
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36514 controlled by a physiological quantity other than heart potential, e.g. blood pressure controlled by two or more physical parameters A61N1/36585
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient

Abstract

A health sensing device is described for placement on a user. The device may include a sensor, a filter, and a transmitter. The sensor is configured to sense one or more factors relating to an indicator of a health related condition or occurrence. The filter is configured to evaluate a signal from the sensor and determine if the indicator has been detected. The transmitter is arranged for initiating a transmission based on a signal from the filter. The sensor can include one or more microphone devices, accelerometers, and/or MEMs devices. A method of monitoring a user for a health related condition is also described.

Claims

1. A health sensing device for placement on a user, the device comprising:

a flexible patch configured to be affixed to the user, the patch having an affixing element for adhering the patch to the user, and wherein the patch includes;

a microphone configured to sense sound generated by a snoring of the user and generate a sensor signal in response to the sound;

a filter configured to receive the sensor signal, determine if the sound exceeds a threshold, and generate a filter signal when the sound exceeds the threshold; and

a transmitter configured to receive the filter signal and generate a transmission responsive to the filter signal.

2. A health sensing system comprising the device of claim 1 and a second device comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the transmission, and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to notify a third party responsive to the transmission.

3. A health sensing system comprising the device of claim 1 and a second device comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the transmission and a processor wherein the processor is configured to stimulate the user responsive to the transmission.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone is configured to sense volume, frequency, pattern, duration, decibel level, or combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is configured to monitor several incoming sensor signals simultaneously.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is further configured to process data relating to the sound.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is further configured to communicate the filter signal to the transmitter.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter signal comprises an in-range signal.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the in-range signal indicates that the device is within a communication range.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is further configured to be programmable with the threshold customized to a user.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone comprises a MEMS device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone comprises an electret condenser device.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises a microprocessor.

14. The health sensing system of claim 3 further comprising a mitigation device configured to sense motion of a sleep partner, sound of a sleep partner, or combinations thereof.

15. The health sensing system of claim 3, wherein stimulation of the user comprises broadcasting a sound canceling signal.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the threshold comprises a threshold rate, and wherein the filter is configured to generate the filter signal if a rate of the snoring exceeds the threshold rate.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein the second device is located in separate location from the patch.

18. The device of claim 3, wherein the second device comprises an ear piece adapted for positioning on an ear of the user.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the ear piece comprises a vibratory device configured to arouse the user responsive to the transmission.

20. A health sensing device for placement on a user, the device comprising:

a flexible patch configured to be affixed to the user, the patch having an affixing element for adhering the patch to the user, and wherein the patch includes;

a microphone configured to sense sound generated by a snoring of the user and generate a sensor signal in response to the sound;

a filter configured to receive the sensor signal, determine a volume of the sensed sound, and determine if the sound exceeds a threshold volume, and wherein the filter is further configured to generate the filter signal if the volume of the sensed sound exceeds the threshold volume; and

a transmitter configured to receive the filter signal and generate a transmission responsive to the filter signal.