System method and device for monitoring physiological parameters of a person

• US 9,775,561 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyr Technology Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Russell, Brian K., Woodward, Jonathan, Radtke, William, Dykes, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardinal, Erin M
• Application Number:
  US13/331,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20120165645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,114 Days
• Field of Search: 600372, 600386, 600509, 600382, 600388-390, 600383, 439909, 439 37, 439153, 439261, 439282, 439310, 439312-321, 439550, 439569, 174559-564
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/16 Details of sensor housings or probes; Details of structural supports for sensors A61B2560/0462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

Provided is a system, method and portable device for monitoring physiological parameters of a person in the field.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronics portion;

a housing enclosing at least a portion of said electronics portion and comprising a plurality of housing sensor pads, each of the plurality of housing sensor pads comprising a leaf spring;

a garment, at least a portion of said garment having a plurality of stacked layers, one of said plurality of stacked layers being an electrically conductive sensor layer, said sensor layer

configured to measure at least a first physiological signal of a user wearing said garment;

an interface comprising a receptacle portion and a plurality of interface sensor pads, the interface configured to be fixedly attached to said garment in a chest area, each of the plurality of interface sensor pads comprising a protrusion;

said housing configured to be removably attached to said interface by snapping into the receptacle portion of the interface, wherein the plurality of protrusions are configured to orient the housing in an attached state with respect to the interface to ensure that each leaf spring of the plurality of housing sensor pads aligns with and contacts the protrusion of the plurality interface sensor pads when the housing is snapped into the interface,

the plurality of interface sensor pads including a first interface sensor pad coupled to a sensor ground, a second interface sensor pad coupled to an ECG sensor, and a third interface sensor pad coupled to a breathing rate sensor;

at least one of said interface sensor pads being electrically coupled to said sensor layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a user actuated member having a first state in which said user actuated member engages said interface and a second state in which said user actuated member does not engage said interface and wherein said user actuated member is configured to transition from said first state to said second state by actuation of the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface is fixedly attached to said garment by any of heat bonding or sewing, or a combination thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronics portion comprises:

a battery,

at least one wireless transceiver,

a processor,

at least one light emitting LED, and

an internal memory.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said at least one wireless transceiver comprises:

at least two wireless transceivers, each operable to communicate simultaneously with at least one remote device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is configured to measure at least one of heart rate, temperature, activity, ECG data, breathing rate, or posture.