Wireless electrode arrangement and method for patient monitoring via electrocardiography

• US 9,101,264 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PeerBridge Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PeerBridge Health, Inc.
• Inventors: Acquista, Angelo Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US13/835,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 600/513, 607/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 : Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 : Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 : Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 : for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 : for measuring pH
• 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 5/14552 : Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1468 : using chemical or electrochemical methods, e.g. by polarographic means A61B5/1486 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/242 : Detecting biomagnetic fields, e.g. magnetic fields produced by bioelectric currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/276 : Protection against electrode failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 : Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 : Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 : specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 : Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 : Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 : Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 : Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 : for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 : Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 : for diagnosis of blood vessels

Abstract

A system including a plurality of wireless sensors for monitoring one or more parameters of a subject is provided. The wireless sensors can be attachable to or implantable in the subject and form a network. The sensors can include a sensing component configured to detect a signal corresponding to at least one condition of the subject. The sensors further can include a communication component configured to wirelessly transmit the detected signal to at least another of the plurality of wireless sensors, and wirelessly receive a signal transmitted from at least one of the remaining sensors in the network.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring one or more hemodynamic parameters of a subject, comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensors attachable to or implantable in the subject and forming a network wherein two or more of the plurality of wireless sensors that are physically disconnected from each other can be selected to belong to at least one cluster and are arranged so that signals from the sensors can be combined to form a formatted signal in a desired format, each sensor comprising;

a sensing component configured to detect a signal corresponding to at least one hemodynamic condition of the subject; and

a communication component configured to;

wirelessly transmit the formatted signal to at least one of the plurality of wireless sensors, and

wirelessly receive a signal transmitted from at least one of the remaining sensors in the network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a mesh network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hemodynamic parameters include one or more of pulse oximetry, oxygen saturation, oxyhemoglobin saturation, blood glucose level, blood pressure, blood velocity, blood flow rate, respiratory rate, pulse rate, CO2 level, drug concentration, blood protein concentration, heart rate, heart rhythm, heart rate variability, organic or inorganic substance concentration, cardiac activity, cardiac output, pH levels, pathogens and galvanic skin response.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of wireless sensors further comprises:

a signal amplifier,

a battery,

a memory,

a CPU, and

an RF module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of wireless sensors includes one or more surface-attached electrodes for detecting a surface potential or current of the subject.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more surface-attached electrodes are ECG electrodes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless sensors includes a sensing component configured to detect a signal corresponding to a first hemodynamic parameter of the subject, and at least another of the plurality of wireless sensors includes a sensing component configured to detect a signal corresponding to a second hemodynamic parameter of the subject, the second hemodynamic parameter being different from the first hemodynamic parameter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is implantable.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing component includes at least one of an electromagnetic detector, a thermal detector, a pressure detector, an ultrasonic detector, an optical detector and a chemical detector, a magnetic detector, a laser detector, and an x-ray detector.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication component of each of the plurality of sensors comprise a mote.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a master node configured to communicate wirelessly with each of the plurality of sensors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors are divided into two or more clusters, each cluster comprising two or more sensors, each of the two or more sensors configured to wirelessly communicate with the other of the two or more sensors and with the master node.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each cluster is assigned a unique identification identifier recognizable by the master node.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the master node includes a communication component and a monitoring unit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component of the master node is configured as a dongle and powered by an external port of the monitoring unit.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring unit comprises a display.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the monitoring unit is a portable computing device.

18. An apparatus for monitoring one or more hemodynamic properties of a subject, comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensors attached to or implanted in the subject and forming a network wherein two or more of the plurality of wireless sensors that are physically disconnected from each other can be selected to belong to at least one cluster and are arranged so that signals from the sensors can be combined to form a formatted signal in a desired format, each sensor comprising;

a sensing component configured to detect a signal corresponding to at least one hemodynamic property of the subject, and

a communication component configured to;

wirelessly transmit the formatted signal, to at least one of the plurality of wireless sensors; and

wirelessly receive a signal transmitted from at least one of the plurality of wireless sensors; and

a master node configured to communicate wirelessly with each of the plurality of sensors.

19. A system for monitoring parameters of a subject via electrocardiography, comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensors attachable to or implantable in the subject and forming a network wherein two or more of the plurality of wireless sensors that are physically disconnected from each other can be selected to belong to at least one cluster and are arranged so that signals from the sensors can be combined to form a formatted signal in a desired format, each sensor comprising;

a sensing component configured to detect a signal corresponding to at least one cardiac condition of the subject; and

a communication component configured to;

wirelessly transmit the formatted signal to at least one of the plurality of wireless sensors, and

wirelessly receive a signal transmitted from at least one of the remaining sensors in the network.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the desired format is obtained using a vector analysis.