Band-like garment for physiological monitoring

• US 9,504,410 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Gal, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): JANG, CHRISTIAN YONGKYUN
• Application Number:
  US11/586,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,689 Days
• Field of Search: 600534-536
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses

Abstract

This invention provides a physiological monitoring garment having a band-like configuration and incorporating respiratory, cardiac and temperature sensors. The garment is designed so that it is easily constructed from a few number of separate elements, and so that one garment design can be adjusted to subjects of a range of sizes and shapes. The design is further adapted to require little on no wearer effort during donning or wearer attention during use.

Claims

1. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an active portion comprising;

a backbone fabric material; and

a respiratory inductive plethysmographic band carried by the backbone material, the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band comprising;

a first respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor having a length;

a lead formed from a second respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor positioned laterally from the first respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor along the length;

one or more flexible conductive fabric strips, each of the respective one or more flexible conductive fabric strips forming an ECG electrode and being attached to the backbone material, the one or more ECG electrodes being electrically connected to the lead such that the lead is configured to carry ECG electrode signals; and

one or more accessory leads, and wherein at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is linked to at least one of the one or more accessory leads.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes further comprises an elastic and foam-like material that is adapted to urge the conductive fabric against a subject'"'"'s skin.

3. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a skin temperature sensor linked to the accessory conductors of the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band.

4. The garment of claim 1 further comprising an adjustment section attached to ends of the active portion for snugly fitting the garment about a subject.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein the adjustment section further comprises a tensioning belt adapted to link the active portion to encircle a wearer'"'"'s torso.

6. The garment of claim 1 further comprising an adjustable over-the-shoulder strap.

7. The garment of claim 6 wherein the over-the-shoulder strap is linked to the garment by one or more buckles.

8. The garment of claim 7 wherein the over-the-shoulder strap is linked to at least one of the one or more buckles so as to permit angular motion of the over-the-shoulder strap with respect to the at least one buckle.

9. The garment of claim 7 comprising one buckle, of the one or more buckles, fixedly attached to the backbone material and one buckle, of the one or more buckles, slideably attached to the backbone material.

10. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a pouch attached to the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band.

11. The garment of claim 10, wherein the pouch is configured to hold one or more cardiac sensors.

12. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an active portion comprising a backbone fabric material folded onto itself so as to form a longitudinal-elongated recess; and

a respiratory inductive plethysmographic band arranged in the longitudinal-elongated recess of the backbone material, the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band comprising;

a first respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor having a length;

a lead formed from a second respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor positioned laterally from the first respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor along the length;

one or more ECG electrodes attached to the backbone material comprising a flexible conductive fabric, an ECG electrode of the one or more ECG electrodes being electrically connected to the lead such that the lead is configured to carry ECG electrode signals; and

one or more accessory leads, and wherein at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is linked to at least one of the one or more accessory leads.

13. The garment of claim 12,

wherein the flexible conductive fabric of the one or more ECG electrodes comprises:

a first portion being mounted on an exposed face of the folded backbone material and adapted to be in contact with a subject wearing the garment; and

a second portion having an electrical contact for attachment to the one or more leads, the second portion being arranged in the longitudinal-elongated recess of the backbone material so as not to be externally accessible,

wherein the folded backbone material comprises a single fold joining two longitudinally-elongated portions,

wherein the first portion of the at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is mounted on the external face of one longitudinally-elongated portion of the backbone material, and

wherein the second portion of the at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is mounted on the internal face of the other longitudinally-elongated portion of the backbone material.

14. The garment of claim 13 wherein the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band further comprises one or more accessory leads, and wherein at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is linked to at least one of the one or more accessory leads.

15. The garment of claim 13, wherein the flexible conductive fabric is woven from conductive fibers.

16. The garment of claim 12 wherein the folded backbone material comprises two single folds joining three longitudinally-elongated portions, so that one internal longitudinally:

elongated portion is arranged between the two external longitudinally-elongated portions,

wherein the first portion of the at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is mounted on the external face of one of the external longitudinally-elongated portions of the backbone material, and

wherein the second portion of the at least one of the one or more ECG electrodes is mounted on the internal longitudinally-elongated portion.

17. The garment of claim 12 wherein the first respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductor is arranged on the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band in a pattern with a spatial frequency of 5-6 cycles per inch, and wherein the lead is arranged on the respiratory inductive plethysmographic band in a pattern with a spatial frequency of 2-3 cycles per inch.

18. The garment of claim 12 wherein the backbone material is elastic.

19. The garment of claim 18 wherein the backbone material comprises elastane.

20. A physiological monitoring garment comprising:

an active portion comprising;

a backbone fabric material folded onto itself;

an outer covering;

a respiratory inductive plethysmographic band supporting a plurality of respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductors having a length, a subset of the plurality of respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductors configured as a plurality of leads comprising an accessory lead, the plurality of leads being positioned laterally from the plurality of respiratory inductive plethysmographic conductors along the length;

a plurality of ECG electrodes being electrically connected to the plurality of respiratory inductive plethysmographic leads such that the plural respiratory inductive plethysmographic leads are configured to carry ECG electrode signals, each of the respective plurality of ECG electrodes having a plurality of conductive fibers woven to form a flexible conductive fabric, the flexible conductive fabric having a first portion mounted on an exposed face of the backbone material and a second portion mounted on an internal flap of the folded backbone material;

wherein the first portion is configured to contact a subject wearing the garment,

wherein the second portion is not externally accessible, and

wherein the plurality of ECG electrodes are electrically linked to the accessory lead by an electrical contact on the second portion, and the accessory lead is electrically linked to electronic processing circuitry, and a skin temperature sensor electrically linked to the accessory lead;

an adjustment portion attached to ends of the active portion and comprising a tensioning belt comprising linking the active portion to encircle a wearer'"'"'s torso; and

an over-the-shoulder strap for stabilizing the active portion on a wearer, and a front and a back buckle for attaching between the active and/or adjustment portions and the over-the-shoulder strap.

21. The garment of claim 20 further comprising an electronics module electrically linked to the respiratory inductive plethysmographic leads, the ECG electrodes, and the skin temperature sensor.

22. The garment of claim 20 wherein at least one of the plurality of ECG electrodes comprise an electrically conductive cloth for contacting the skin of a wearer.