Acoustically enhanced pet animal collar for health and vital signs monitoring, alert and diagnosis
Inventors
Menkes, Avi • BUKCHIN, Michael
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10440938-B2
Publication Date
2019-10-15
Expiration Date
Abstract
An acoustically enhanced collar for monitoring vital signs of a pet animal, may comprise an elastic band having a working surface configured to wrap around a neck of a pet animal and an oppositely faced rear surface, at least one sensor element situated along a circumference of the band and configured to measure at least one bioparameter from the following bioparameters: temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, movement; at least one acoustic concentrator projecting as a bump toward the neck from the working surface on a first side of the at least one sensor element; at least one acoustic concentrator projecting as a bump toward the portion from the working surface on a second side of the at least one sensor element and acoustic balancers projecting from the rear surface at least partly behind the acoustic concentrators. Preferably, the acoustic concentrators and balancers have a base end having an “X” shape.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an acoustically enhanced collar for non-invasively monitoring vital signs of a pet animal, wherein the pet animal is a dog or cat. The collar includes a band comprising a layer of an elastic material with a working surface configured to wrap around a portion of the pet animal and a rear surface facing an opposite direction, and a plurality of sensor elements situated at one or more regions along a circumference of the band.
At least one acoustic sensor measures at least one of heart rate and respiration rate and outputs signal representing vital sign data. The acoustic sensor includes at least one piezoelectric element embedded in the band, and at least two acoustic concentrators integrally formed with the band project from the working surface to convey an acoustic signal to the band, while at least two acoustic balancers integrally formed with the band project from the rear surface at regions at least partly behind the concentrators to balance the acoustic signal against noise and thereby increase readability in terms of signal to noise ratio of the acoustic signal provided to the acoustic sensor.
The acoustic concentrators are configured to penetrate fur, touch skin of a neck portion of the pet at an area of an artery, and conduct the signal from the neck portion to the acoustic sensor. The concentrators and balancers are tapered inwardly from base ends to top ends distal from the band, and the invention further includes one or both of temperature sensors and sensors selected from an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer for movement and posture.
In system implementations, a processor executes algorithms to interpret an interdependence of vital sign bioparameter data to arrive at a tentative diagnosis. The bioparameter data includes temperature, movement and posture, and the system is configured to detect specific postures and activity-related states, including an indication of the dog lying down laterally, lying down sternally, sitting, standing on four legs, and exhibiting a posture associated with eating and drinking.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim set includes three independent claims. Across these claims, the inventive coverage centers on an acoustically enhanced non-invasive pet collar that improves acoustic signal readability using acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers around embedded piezoelectric acoustic sensing, optionally combined with temperature and motion/posture sensing plus processor-based interpretation for tentative diagnosis or posture detection.
Acoustically enhanced elastic collar with working and rear surfaces
A collar comprising a band with a working surface configured to wrap around a portion of the pet animal and a rear surface facing an opposite direction, for non-invasively monitoring vital signs of a pet animal that is a dog or cat.
Embedded piezoelectric acoustic sensor for heart rate and respiration rate
At least one acoustic sensor configured to measure at least one of heart rate and respiration rate and output at least one signal representing vital sign data, wherein the acoustic sensor includes at least one piezoelectric element embedded in the band.
Acoustic concentrators and balancers to increase signal readability
At least two acoustic concentrators integrally formed with the band and projecting from the working surface to convey an acoustic signal to the band containing the piezoelectric element, and at least two acoustic balancers integrally formed with the band and projecting from the rear surface behind the concentrators, configured to balance the acoustic signal against noise and thereby increase readability in terms of signal to noise ratio.
Tapered, penetrating concentrators and skin-contact at an artery area
The concentrators and balancers taper inwardly from base ends to top ends distal from the band, and each concentrator is configured to penetrate fur, touch skin of a neck portion at an area of an artery, and conduct the signal from the neck portion to the acoustic sensor.
Optional temperature and movement/posture sensor modalities
One or both of temperature sensors to measure temperature, and at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer sensor to measure at least one of movement and posture.
Processor algorithms to arrive at a tentative diagnosis from interdependent bioparameters
A processor configured by software to execute algorithms to interpret an interdependence of vital sign bioparameter data to arrive at a tentative diagnosis of the pet animal, wherein the at least one vital sign bioparameter includes temperature, movement and posture.
Processor-configured detection of specific dog postures and eating/drinking posture
One or more processors configured to detect each of an indication of the dog lying down laterally, lying down sternally, sitting, standing on four legs, and exhibiting a posture associated with eating and drinking.
The claims cover a non-invasive pet collar that embeds piezoelectric acoustic sensing for heart rate and respiration rate, with integrally formed acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers on opposite sides of the band to increase signal to noise ratio. The concentrators are tapered and configured to penetrate fur, touch skin at an artery area, and conduct the signal to the acoustic sensor, optionally supported by temperature sensors and movement/posture sensors and processor-based algorithmic interpretation or posture detection.
Stated Advantages
Increases readability, in terms of signal to noise ratio, of an acoustic signal provided to the acoustic sensor.
Supports non-invasive monitoring of vital signs of a pet animal.
Enables interpretation of interdependence among vital sign bioparameter data to arrive at a tentative diagnosis.
Enables detection of specific postures and posture associated with eating and drinking.
Documented Applications
Non-invasive monitoring of vital signs of a pet dog or cat, including heart rate and respiration rate.
Temperature measurement on the collar as part of vital sign bioparameter data.
Movement and posture sensing on the collar and detection of specific dog postures: lying down laterally, lying down sternally, sitting, standing on four legs, and posture associated with eating and drinking.
Processor-based tentative diagnosis using algorithms interpreting interdependence of bioparameter data including temperature, movement and posture.
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