Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-10285644-B2
Publication Date
2019-05-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
A patient worn sensor assembly for detecting, recording, and communicating patient vital signs includes several structural features that can provide increased signal quality, reduction in signal noise, increased patient comfort, increased reliability, and increased adhesion to a patient's skin. The patient worn sensor can track vital sign information such as blood pressure, body temperature, respiratory rate, blood oxygenation, heart rhythm (via ECG), heart rate, blood glucose level, and hydration (bio-impedance) levels. The sensor can also track and record additional information about patients, including patient movement, activity, and sleep patterns.
Core Innovation
A patient monitoring device is described for use with an electrode assembly configured to be applied to the skin of a patient. The device includes an electronics assembly with one or more extending contacts that releasably couple to an electrode of the electrode assembly, and one or more stabilizing boots that each encircle one of the extending contacts. The boots are configured to communicate with the electrical contacts/leads via snap connectors and provide mechanical stability during patient motion.
The stabilizing boots are configured to allow greater movement in a Z-axis direction than in X-axis and Y-axis directions of the electronics assembly relative to the patient. The boots optionally include over-molding, including thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and are described as absorbing motion and shock to provide greater compliance in the Z-axis than in X/Y. This directional compliance is described as reducing motion artifacts and signal noise, including reduced ECG baseline wander.
The electrode assembly is described using an electrode pad having an elastic foam layer and hydrogels on electrode portions, together with a stabilizing sheet positioned between the electrodes and the elastic layer. The stabilizing sheet restricts electrode motion in X/Y while allowing Z movement. A tented elastic/hydrogel geometry forms air pockets that collect air bubbles and sweat to improve contact stability and signal quality.
Disposable electrode-pad concepts and wireless monitoring/telemetry features are also outlined in the described system. The overall combination of releasably coupled extending contacts, stabilizing boots around the contacts with Z-axis preferential compliance, and the electrode pad’s hydrogel/elastic/tented air-pocket configuration is presented to improve signal quality for patient-worn vital-sign sensing.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim coverage is provided by two independent claims. The inventive features focus on a patient monitoring device that releasably couples electronics contacts to a skin-applied electrode assembly using stabilizing boots, and boot construction/material differences within the stabilized coupling arrangement.
Releasable coupling of extending contacts to skin electrode using stabilizing boots with Z-preferential movement
The device includes an electronics assembly having one or more extending contacts configured to releasably couple to an electrode of an electrode assembly applied to the skin of a patient, and one or more stabilizing boots each encircling one of the extending contacts; each stabilizing boot is configured to allow for a greater degree of movement in a Z-axis direction than in X-axis and Y-axis directions of the electronics assembly relative to the patient.
Boot material rigidity differences in a patient monitoring device with releasable contact coupling
The device includes an electronics assembly having one or more extending contacts configured to releasably couple to an electrode of an electrode assembly applied to the skin of a patient, and one or more stabilizing boots each encircling one of the extending contacts; the boots comprise at least two stabilizing boots; and a first stabilizing boot is constructed of a material having a higher level of rigidity than the other stabilizing boots.
Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage requires releasable coupling of electronics extending contacts to a skin-applied electrode assembly using stabilizing boots that encircle the contacts, with preferential Z-axis movement in one claim and a higher-rigidity first boot material in the other claim.
Stated Advantages
Reducing motion artifacts and signal noise, including reduced ECG baseline wander.
Improving contact stability and signal quality.
Providing greater compliance in the Z-axis than in X/Y through motion/shock absorption.
Documented Applications
Patient-worn monitoring for sensing vital signs including ECG and other vital signs such as temperature and SpO2, as well as blood glucose and hydration via bio-impedance, using wireless monitoring/telemetry features.
Interested in licensing this patent?