Waterproof optically-sensing fiberless-optically-communicating vitality monitoring and alarming system, particularly for swimmers and infants
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for monitoring the vitality of a person comprising:
- a waterproof sensor configured to be mounted to a person, the sensor further configured to periodically sense the person'"'"'s heart activity and produce an electrical signal indicative thereof, the waterproof sensor having unique identification information so it can be identified from other sensors worn by other persons;
a waterproof monitor comprisingmemory;
a microprocessor electrically coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the electrical signal indicative of the person'"'"'s heart activity, the microprocessor further configured to store a succession of the electrical signals received from the sensor in the memory and determine if the person'"'"'s heart is stopped based on the stored succession of electrical signals;
a location monitoring system for determining a location of the waterproof sensor;
an optical transmitter having a light source and coupled to the microprocessor, the microprocessor being further configured to produce an optical alarm signal using the light source when the microprocessor has determined the person'"'"'s heart is stopped, wherein the optical alarm signal is modulated so that it the signal from the optical transmitter includes the unique identification information that identifies the waterproof sensor to identify the person wearing the waterproof sensor and includes location information to determine the location of the waterproof sensor;
an optical receiver comprising a detector configured to receive the optical alarm signal, the optical receiver configured to transform the alarm signal and communicate the transformed alarm signal; and
a computer configured to receive the transformed alarm signal and determine the identity of the person to which the waterproof sensor is attached, determine the location of the waterproof sensor, and activate an alarm based on the transformed alarm signal.
0 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The vitality of a swimmer, or of a child, is monitored by a periodically-activated micro-powered solar- and battery-powered waterproof microminiaturized (1) optical sensor of heart activity, electrically connected to (2) a microprocessor monitor, for jointly determining when a person'"'"'s heart activity has stopped. When and if required, the microprocessor causes to be transmitted, through water a blue-green light alarm signal. When this optical alarm signal is received by an optical receiver/alarm in air, the receiver/alarm produces an audio and/or visual alarm that, when sensed by a human, potentially timely permits rescue and resuscitation of the swimmer, or the child. The battery-and-solar-powered monitor that forms the core of the vitality monitoring system is roughly ten times faster and more capable, with but one-tenth the power consumption, than previous real-time biological monitoring systems.
18 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A system for monitoring the vitality of a person comprising:
-
a waterproof sensor configured to be mounted to a person, the sensor further configured to periodically sense the person'"'"'s heart activity and produce an electrical signal indicative thereof, the waterproof sensor having unique identification information so it can be identified from other sensors worn by other persons; a waterproof monitor comprising memory; a microprocessor electrically coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the electrical signal indicative of the person'"'"'s heart activity, the microprocessor further configured to store a succession of the electrical signals received from the sensor in the memory and determine if the person'"'"'s heart is stopped based on the stored succession of electrical signals; a location monitoring system for determining a location of the waterproof sensor; an optical transmitter having a light source and coupled to the microprocessor, the microprocessor being further configured to produce an optical alarm signal using the light source when the microprocessor has determined the person'"'"'s heart is stopped, wherein the optical alarm signal is modulated so that it the signal from the optical transmitter includes the unique identification information that identifies the waterproof sensor to identify the person wearing the waterproof sensor and includes location information to determine the location of the waterproof sensor; an optical receiver comprising a detector configured to receive the optical alarm signal, the optical receiver configured to transform the alarm signal and communicate the transformed alarm signal; and a computer configured to receive the transformed alarm signal and determine the identity of the person to which the waterproof sensor is attached, determine the location of the waterproof sensor, and activate an alarm based on the transformed alarm signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
13. A method of monitoring the vitality of a swimmer who is at times submerged while swimming, the method comprising:
-
sensing with a waterproof sensor attached to a swimmer blood flow in the swimmer; producing a succession of electrical signals indicative of the swimmer'"'"'s heartbeat over time; receiving, in a monitor attached to the swimmer, the succession of electrical signals from the waterproof sensor; storing and interpreting, in the monitor, the succession of electrical signals; determining a location of the waterproof sensor; transmitting an optical alarm signal when the succession of signals indicates that the swimmer'"'"'s heart has stopped, wherein the optical alarm signal is modulated and includes unique identification information that identifies the waterproof sensor to identify a person wearing the waterproof sensor with particularity and location information of the waterproof sensor; receiving in an optical receiver any optical alarm signal transmitted from the monitor, and producing responsively thereto a transformed alarm signal; and receiving the transformed alarm signal, identifying with particularity the person wearing the waterproof sensor using the unique identification information, determining the location of the waterproof sensor using the location information, and activating an alarm based thereon. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25)
-
Specification