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-11317609-B2
Publication Date
2022-05-03
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 provides 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 of elastic material having a first surface configured to wrap around a portion of the pet animal and a second surface facing in an opposite direction, with sensor elements situated at one or more regions along a circumference of the band to output vital sign data.
The sensor elements include at least one acoustic sensor configured to measure at least one of heart rate and respiration rate, the acoustic sensor including at least one piezoelectric element embedded in the band. Integrally formed with the band are at least one acoustic concentrator projecting from the first surface toward a body portion of the pet animal and at least one acoustic balancer projecting from the second surface, located at least partly behind the acoustic concentrator, to balance the acoustic signal against noise and increase a readability of an acoustic signal provided to the acoustic sensor.
The acoustic concentrator and acoustic balancer are tapered inwardly from base ends to top ends, each top end distal from the band. The acoustic concentrator is configured in shape to penetrate a fur of the pet animal at an area of an artery and to conduct the signal from a neck portion to the acoustic sensor. The collar further includes one or both of temperature sensors and at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer sensor to measure movement and posture.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover an acoustically enhanced collar and a corresponding system, with core inventive features including integrally formed acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers for readability of acoustic signals to embedded piezoelectric acoustic sensors, optional temperature and motion/posture sensing, and processor-based interpretation to arrive at a tentative diagnosis and detect specified pet postures/activities. Across the independent claims, the inventive features number at least three main groupings: acoustic sensing structure, sensing additions, and processing/detection.
Acoustically enhanced collar for non-invasively monitoring vital signs
A collar having a band of elastic material with a first surface and a second surface facing in an opposite direction, with sensor elements situated at one or more regions along a circumference of the band, including 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, the acoustic sensor including at least one piezoelectric element embedded in the band.
Integrally formed acoustic concentrator for transmitting to embedded piezoelectric sensing
At least one acoustic concentrator integrally formed with the band and projecting toward a body portion from the first surface at the one or more regions along the circumference, the acoustic concentrator conveying an acoustic signal to the band containing the at least one piezoelectric element, and each acoustic concentrator configured in shape to penetrate a fur of the pet animal at an area of an artery and conduct the at least one signal from a neck portion to the at least one acoustic sensor.
Integrally formed acoustic balancer for balancing against noise to increase readability
At least one acoustic balancer integrally formed with the band and projecting from the second surface at the one or more regions along the circumference, the at least one acoustic balancer situated at the region along the circumference at least partly behind the at least one acoustic concentrator, configured to balance the acoustic signal conveyed by the at least one acoustic concentrator against noise and thereby increase a readability of an acoustic signal provided to the at least one acoustic sensor.
Tapered inward acoustic concentrator and acoustic balancer geometry
Each of the at least one acoustic concentrator tapered inwardly from a concentrator base end to a concentrator top end, the concentrator top end distal from the band, and each of the at least one acoustic balancer tapered inwardly from a balancer base end to a balancer top end, the balancer top end distal from the band.
Optional temperature sensing and movement/posture sensing
One or both of: one or more 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 interpretation of interdependence of vital sign bioparameter data to arrive at a tentative diagnosis
A processor configured by software to execute algorithms to interpret an interdependence of the vital sign bioparameter data to arrive at a tentative diagnosis of the pet animal, wherein the vital sign bioparameter data includes at least two of: at least one of heart rate and respiration rate, temperature, and at least one of movement and posture.
Processor-based detection of specified pet postures/activities
One or more processors, wherein the sensor elements and the one or more processors are configured to detect at least three of the following: an indication of the dog lying down laterally, an indication of the dog lying down sternally, an indication of the dog sitting, an indication of the dog standing on four legs and an indication of the dog exhibiting a posture associated with eating or drinking.
Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on a non-invasive pet collar that uses embedded piezoelectric elements with integrally formed acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers arranged to improve readability of acoustic signals by balancing noise. The independent claims also cover tapered-in geometry for the acoustic concentrator and acoustic balancer, optional temperature and movement/posture sensing, and system-level processor operations for tentative diagnosis and detection of multiple pet postures/activities.
Stated Advantages
Increase a readability of an acoustic signal provided to the at least one acoustic sensor by balancing the acoustic signal against noise.
Provide improved signal-to-noise ratio for the acoustic sensing output, including signal-to-noise ratio in a range of 20 dB to 40 dB and at least 20 dB (as stated in dependent claim text).
Documented Applications
Non-invasively monitoring vital signs of a pet animal (dog or cat), including measurement of heart rate and respiration rate.
Monitoring additional parameters including temperature and at least one of movement and posture.
Arriving at a tentative diagnosis by interpreting interdependence among vital sign bioparameter data including at least two of heart rate/respiration, temperature, and movement/posture.
Detecting at least three specified pet postures/activities, including lying down laterally, lying down sternally, sitting, standing on four legs, and a posture associated with eating or drinking.
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