Physiological data acquisition utilizing vibrational identification

• US 8,947,237 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Margon, Tom Mathai
• Original Assignee: Xanthia Global Limited
• Inventors: Margon, Kenneth, Renukanand, Gubbi Umesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US13/214,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 600/509, 600/301
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• 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 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention utilizes an accelerometer (included within a wireless physiology monitoring device or as part of a separate device such as, but not limited to a smartphone, e.g., iPhone, or other mobile device) to link a patient with a separate medical data acquisition device such as a weight scale or a blood pressure monitor in order to collect and transmit a range of medical data associated with the user. The medical data acquisition device includes a vibration source for emitting a vibration at a predetermined or random frequency. When the acquisition device is activated, a vibration is transmitted from the through the patient and is detected by the accelerometer. The accelerometer then measures the particular frequency of vibration and transmits this information to a centralized monitoring unit (CMU). Based on the measured frequency, the CMU is able to know that the same patient wearing/holding the device is also the same patient using the data acquisition device. The vibration source may revolve through a number of predetermined frequencies (as determined on its own or instructed via the CMU) or simply generate a random frequency.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a device having an accelerometer and a patient identifier associated with a particular patient record, wherein the accelerometer is configured to detect a frequency of a mechanical vibration of a patient;

a data acquisition device configured to measure patient data, the data acquisition device having a mechanical vibration source to mechanically vibrate the data acquisition device and the patient at a pre-selected vibrational frequency less than radio frequency; and

a server configured to receive the patient identifier, the patient data, and the pre-selected vibrational frequency, the server configured to match up the patient identifier with the patient data based on the pre-selected vibrational frequency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected vibrational frequency is less than 3 kilohertz.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the pre-selected vibrational frequency is a prime number.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the pre-selected vibrational frequency is a patient identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient data is included into the particular patient record.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the pre-selected vibrational frequency is associated with only one patient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition device comprises an antenna configured to receive an identifier of the pre-selected vibrational frequency from the server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the antenna provides test results to the server.

9. A method implemented on one or more processors, the method comprising:

associating a patient identifier with a particular patient record;

measuring patient data using a data acquisition device;

mechanically vibrating the data acquisition device and the patient at a pre-selected vibrational frequency less than 3 kilohertz;

detecting the pre-selected vibrational frequency of the patient; and

matching up the patient identifier with the patient data based on the pre-selected vibrational frequency.

10. A device comprising:

an accelerometer configured to detect a pre-selected mechanical vibrational frequency of a patient and corresponding to measured patient data and associated with the patient having a patient identifier, wherein the pre-selected mechanical vibrational frequency is less than 3 kilohertz; and

a transceiver configured to receive the magnitude of the pre-selected mechanical vibrational frequency and transmit the patient identifier, wherein the patient identifier is matched up with the patient data based on the pre-selected mechanical vibrational frequency.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a smartphone, an iPhone, or a pendant.

12. A device comprising:

an application configured to select a predetermined vibrational frequency, wherein the predetermined vibrational frequency is less that 3 kilohertz;

a mechanical vibration source for producing the predetermined vibrational frequency and mechanically vibrate the device and a patient at the predetermined vibrational frequency;

medical test circuitry configured to measure patient data corresponding to the patient; and

a transceiver configured to transmit an identifier of the predetermined vibrational frequency and the measured patient data, wherein the measured patient data is matched up with the patient based on the predetermined vibrational frequency.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a data acquisition device.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined vibrational frequency is a prime number.

15. A device comprising:

an application configured to select a predetermined mechanical vibrational frequency to be used on a patient, wherein the predetermined mechanical vibrational frequency is less than 3 kilohertz;

a transceiver configured to receive patient data and a patient identifier; and

matching circuitry configured to match the patient data and the patient identifier based on the predetermined mechanical vibrational frequency.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device comprises a server.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined mechanical vibrational frequency is a prime number.