Physiological monitoring system featuring floormat and wired handheld sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017188973-A1
Application number	US-201614988732-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A physiological monitoring system features a Floormat and Handheld Sensor connected by a cable. A user stands on the Floormat and grips the Handheld Sensor. These components measure time-dependent physiological waveforms from a user over a conduction pathway extending from the user's hand or wrist to their feet. The Handheld Sensor and Floormat use a combination of electrodes that inject current into the user's body and collect bioelectric signals that, with processing, yield ECG, impedance, and bioreactance waveforms. Simultaneously, the Handheld Sensor measures photoplethysmogram waveforms with red and infrared radiation and pressure waveforms from the user's fingers and wrist, while the Floormat measures signals from load cells to determine ‘force’ waveforms to determine the user's weight, and ballistocardiogram waveforms to determine parameters related to cardiac contractility. Processing these waveforms with algorithms running on a microprocessor yield the vital sign, hemodynamic, and biometric parameters.

First claim

1 . A system for measuring a ballistocardiogram (BCG) pulse, an electrocardiogram (ECG) pulse, and a heartbeat-induced pressure pulse from a user, comprising:
a Floormat configured to rest on a flat surface and comprising at least one electrode and at least one load cell, the load cell further configured to generate a force waveform; a Handheld Sensor connected to the Floormat through a cable and comprising at least one electrode and a sensor for detecting the heartbeat-induced pressure pulse; an analog ECG system connected to the at least one electrode in the Floormat and to the at least one electrode in the Handheld Sensor, the analog ECG system configured to generate an ECG waveform from signals sensed through the at least one electrode in the Floormat and the at least one electrode in the Handheld Sensor; a first processing system configured to process a digitized version of the ECG waveform to determine the ECG pulse; a second processing system configured to process a digitized version of the force waveform to determine a BCG waveform; a third processing system configured to collectively process the ECG pulse and the BCG waveform to determine the BCG pulse; a fourth processing system configured to process a digitized version of the signal related to the heartbeat-induced pressure pulse; and an electronics system housed in the Floormat that simultaneously operates the first, second, third, and fourth processing systems.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode in the Floormat is disposed on a top surface of the Floormat and configured to contact the user's foot when the user stands on the Floormat.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode in the Floormat comprises at least one of the following: a conductive fabric, a metal, a conductive foam, a hydrogel material, a conductive ink, a conductive rubber.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode in the Handheld Sensor is disposed on a grip connected to the Handheld Sensor and configured to contact the user's hand when the user holds the Handheld Sensor.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one electrode in the Handheld Sensor comprises at least one of the following: a conductive fabric, a metal, a conductive foam, a hydrogel material, a conductive ink, a conductive rubber.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises a set of conducting wires.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein one of the conducting wires connects the at least one electrode in the Handheld Sensor to the analog ECG system.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the Floormat comprises a circuit board, and the circuit board comprises the analog ECG system.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein one of the conducting wires connects the at least one electrode in the Floormat to the analog ECG system.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the Handheld Sensor comprises a circuit board, and the circuit board comprises the analog ECG system.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable is a flexible cable.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable is a retractable cable that retracts into the Floormat.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ECG pulse determined by the first processing system is a first ECG QRS complex.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the third processing system is configured to determine a first time segment associated with a time separating a first point in time corresponding to the first ECG QRS complex, and a second point in time corresponding to a second ECG QRS complex.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein an R-wave of the first ECG QRS complex directly precedes an R-wave from the second ECG QRS complex.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the R-waves of the first and second ECG QRS complexes are separated in time by a period associated with a single heartbeat.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the third processing system is configured to determine a second time segment associated with a time separating a third point in time corresponding to a third ECG QRS complex, and a fourth point in time corresponding to a fourth ECG QRS complex.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the third processing system is configured to collectively process a first segment of a BCG waveform corresponding to the first time segment, and a second segment of a BCG waveform corresponding to the second time segment.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the third processing system is configured to sum at least one portion of the BCG waveform corresponding to the first time segment with at least one portion of the BCG waveform corresponding to the second time segment to generate the BCG pulse.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the third processing system is configured to average at least one portion of the BCG waveform corresponding to the first time segment with at least one portion of the BCG waveform corresponding to the first second segment to generate the BCG pulse.

21 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fifth processing system configured to process parameters associated with the BCG pulse and a calibration factor to estimate at least one of cardiac contractility, stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction, and heart rate.

22 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor for detecting a signal related to the heartbeat-induced pressure pulse comprised by the Handheld Sensor is an inflatable bladder.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the inflatable bladder connects to an electrode.

Assignees

• Tosense Inc

Inventors

• Banet Matthew
• Dhillon Marshal Singh
• Pede Susan Meeks
• HAYWARD Lauren Nicole Miller
• Deptala Arthur
• Cochran Jonas Dean

Classifications

• A61B5/329

  Load diagnosis, e.g. cardiac stress tests · CPC title

• A61B5/349

  Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle · CPC title

• A61B5/0002

  Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07) · CPC title

• A61B5/0205

  Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition · CPC title

• A61B5/6892

  Mats · CPC title