Necklace-shaped physiological monitor

Inventors

Banet, Matthew • Pede, Susan Meeks • Dhillon, Marshal Singh • Terry, Andrew • Hunt, Kenneth Robert

Assignees

Baxter Healthcare SA • Baxter International Inc

Abstract

This invention provides a system adapted to be worn entirely on a patient's body for measuring a pulse oximetry (SpO2) parameter and an electrocardiogram (ECG) parameter. The system includes first and second ECG electrodes that adhere to a patient's chest. The system further includes a flexible component to transmit the ECG parameter from the first and second ECG electrodes to an electronics module. The electronics module includes an electronic circuit, a microprocessor, a temperature sensor, and a wireless transmitter. The system further includes a pulse oximetry system for measuring the pulse oximetry (SpO2) parameter.

Core Innovation

A system adapted to be worn entirely on a patient's body is configured to measure a pulse oximetry (SpO2) parameter and an electrocardiogram (ECG) parameter. The ECG parameter is measured using a first ECG electrode and a second ECG electrode that adhere to a chest of the patient, with the electrodes located on opposite sides of the system.

The system includes a flexible conductive component configured to transmit the ECG parameter measured by the first ECG electrode and the second ECG electrode to an electronics module. The electronics module is disposed between the first ECG electrode and the second ECG electrode, and in an alternative placement is disposed on the chest of the patient, and includes an electronic circuit configured to measure differential voltage measurements, and a microprocessor having an analog-to-digital converter.

The electronics module further comprises a temperature sensor and a wireless transmitter. The wireless transmitter is configured to transmit the ECG parameter to an external receiver using Bluetooth, and the electronics module is powered by a battery. A pulse oximetry system measures the SpO2 parameter at a location other than a hand or a finger, using a pulse oximetry circuit connected to an optical sensor having a light emitted diode (LED) and a light-sensitive diode, with the optical sensor operating in a reflection mode in one embodiment.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims cover two total wearable, body-worn systems for concurrently measuring pulse oximetry (SpO2) and an electrocardiogram (ECG), with chest-adhered ECG electrodes on opposite sides of the system and a pulse oximetry optical sensor worn at a non-hand/non-finger location. Across the independent claims, the inventive structure is centered on a chest-disposed electronics module that digitizes differential ECG signals, includes temperature sensing, and wirelessly transmits via Bluetooth while enabling pulse oximetry via an optical sensor connected by a flexible component or flexible cable, including reflection-mode operation in one independent claim.

Independent claim 1 and independent claim 12 both cover an all-body-worn system measuring SpO2 and ECG using chest-adhered, oppositely located ECG electrodes, with a flexible conductive connection to an electronics module that includes differential ECG measurement, a microprocessor with an analog-to-digital converter, and a temperature sensor. Claim 1 further specifies microprocessor analysis of electrode adherence and a Bluetooth wireless transmitter to an external receiver, while the pulse oximetry portion is based on an optical sensor with an LED and a light-sensitive diode worn at a location other than a hand or finger. Claim 12 specifies an on-chest electronics module, pulse oximetry using an optical sensor operating in reflection mode, and a wireless transmitter without explicitly limiting it to Bluetooth.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found