Cable system for generating signals for detecting motion and measuring vital signs

Inventors

Moon, Jim • McCOMBIE, Devin • Dhillon, Marshal • Banet, Matthew

Assignees

Sotera Wireless Inc

Abstract

A system and method for measuring vital signs and motion from a patient comprising a plurality of sensors, each comprising a processor and analog-to-digital converter configured to generate the physiologic data waveform(s) from the sensor as synchronized, separately resolvable digital data comprising a header indicating the sensor from which the digital data originates, and to transmit the physiologic data waveform(s) to a processing system via a cable comprising a terminal connector that reversibly mates with one of a plurality functionally equivalent of connectors to operably connect the sensor to the processing system. The processing system receive sthe physiologic data waveforms and determines therefrom one or more vital signs for the individual, which are transmitted to a remote vital sign monitor.

Core Innovation

A body-worn vital sign monitoring system includes a processing system configured to be worn on the wrist of an individual, with a housing, a plurality of connectors, a first processor, and a wireless transmitter within the housing. A plurality of sensors are configured to be worn on the body of the individual to generate one or more physiologic data waveforms, and each sensor includes a second processor and an analog-to-digital converter.

The physiologic data waveforms are generated as synchronized, time-dependent, separately resolvable, packetized digital data comprising a header indicating the sensor from which the digital data originates. The sensors transmit the physiologic data waveforms to the processing system via a cable having a terminal connector that reversibly mates with one of the plurality of connectors, and the cable provides a single common data pathway between the plurality of sensors and the processing system.

The first processor receives the physiologic data waveforms from the plurality of sensors, determines one or more vital signs for the individual, and transmits the one or more vital signs to a remote vital sign monitor using the wireless transmitter. Each connector of the plurality of connectors is functionally equivalent such that the cable may operably connect the sensor to the processing system by mating its terminal connector to any one of the plurality of connectors.

The described monitoring further relates posture quantization and motion/activity characterization to monitoring and alarm/alert behavior, including using chest accelerometer DC values to compute a normal torso angle and classify torso posture into quantized states such as upright, supine, prone, right-side, left-side, and undetermined by threshold comparisons. Motion/activity classification is described using a logistic regression model driven by accelerometer-derived predictors including frequency-band power from an FFT, with thresholding to support activity characterization and reduce false alarms.

Claims Coverage

The identified independent claim covers the overall body-worn vital sign monitoring system architecture and the sensor-to-processing data pathway, including wireless transmission of determined vital signs. The independent claim includes five inventive features.

The inventive coverage is directed to a wrist-worn processing unit with wireless transmission, body-worn sensors producing synchronized, time-dependent, packetized digital waveform data with sensor-origin headers, a cable providing a single common data pathway via reversibly mating terminal connectors, functionally equivalent connectors, and processing logic that determines one or more vital signs and transmits them to a remote monitor.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications