Physiological sensor patch for making complex measurements of bioimpedance
Inventors
McCanna, James Patrick • Dhillon, Marshal Singh • Buckingham, Justin Grant • Banet, Matthew John • Tang, Erik Edwin
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12605111-B2
Publication Date
2026-04-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
The invention provides a system for characterizing a patient including a substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrical system. The electrical system is connected to the substrate and worn entirely on the patient's body. The electrical system in electrical contact with both the first and second electrodes and configured to inject an alternating electrical current through the first electrode and into the region of tissue. The electrical system is configured to measure a first electrical signal from the region of tissue through the second electrode. The electrical system is configured to measure a second electrical signal from the region of tissue. The first electrical signal or a signal determined therefrom indicates a resistance of the region of tissue and the second electrical signal or a signal determined therefrom indicates a reactance of the region of tissue.
Core Innovation
The disclosed system uses a substrate worn over a region of patient tissue, electrodes arranged along an annular ring, and strain gauges to characterize swelling beneath the tissue surface. One claimed configuration determines swelling using tissue resistance and reactance together with strain-gauge signals. Another uses electrical signals measured after alternating current is applied at multiple frequencies and processes those signals with a strain-gauge signal.
The description also presents optical swelling measurement and wearable physiological sensing that includes ECG, optical, acoustic, and impedance sensing. Phantom experiments show impedance changes with injected fluid and greater fluid-volume sensitivity at 10 kHz than at 100 kHz. The supplied partial content does not include the background section, so the problem stated in that section is not explicitly described in the patent excerpt.
Claims Coverage
The supplied relevant claims identify two independent claims, each directed to a body-worn system for characterizing a patient. They contain two principal inventive features, one for resistance-and-reactance measurements and one for multi-frequency electrical measurements processed with strain-gauge data.
Swelling determination from resistance, reactance, and strain-gauge signals
Claim 1 covers a substrate worn on a region of tissue, annular-ring electrodes, and strain gauges. An electrical system worn entirely on the patient's body injects alternating current, measures signals indicating tissue resistance and reactance, and determines swelling beneath the tissue surface based on the resistance, reactance, and a strain-gauge signal.
Multi-frequency tissue measurements processed with strain-gauge data
Claim 9 covers a body-worn substrate with annular-ring electrodes and strain gauges, an electrical system that injects alternating current at multiple different frequencies and measures a tissue signal for each frequency, and a processor that processes the electrical signals and a strain-gauge signal to determine swelling beneath the tissue surface.
The two independent claims cover body-worn systems that combine electrical measurements of tissue with strain-gauge signals to determine subsurface swelling. Claim 1 specifies resistance and reactance measurements; claim 9 specifies measurements at multiple frequencies and processing by a processor.
Stated Advantages
Phantom experiments show greater fluid-volume sensitivity at 10 kHz than at 100 kHz.
Documented Applications
Wearable physiological monitoring, including ECG, optical, acoustic, and impedance sensing.
Characterizing patient tissue swelling, including subsurface swelling.
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