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The IP.com Prior Art Database
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Inventors:
Abstract
There is a perceived need of small disposable wireless sensing devices in a small convenient form factor, which allows one to measure several vital parameters such as heart rate, respiration, activity, blood pressure, fluid retention, sleep disorder and numerous other physiological parameters which are useful and relevant to healthy population or a specific segment of patient population. Several such devices have been described in the literature. One key aspect of such devices is the patch form factor that could significantly affect the convenience and usability of such patches. The smaller is the patch the more convenient, usable and highly adaptable such a device becomes. One of the key features of such device is the ability to measure heart function using ECG signals. That can be accomplished in one, two or three electrode configuration- where the number of electrode, distance between the electrodes has a bearing on patch size and quality of ECG signals. Additional parameters that can be deduced from EKG or EKG signals are additional physiological signs such as heart rate, heart rate variation, respiration, fluid retention, sleep functions etc. Numerous health care organizations, physician association, technological and regulatory bodies have stated the underlying benefits of such devices for chronic disease and lifestyle management. However, even after a decade of technical attempts there are no widely available commercial solutions. One of the reasons for that is the difficulty in making such sensing patches cheap with high sensitivity and low signal to noise ratio.
Title: Wireless Small
Form Factor Wearable Sensing Patch: Beneficial Use of Electrode & Hydrogel
Structure and Composition
Inventor:
Srikant Pathak
There is a
perceived need of small disposable wireless sensing devices in a small
convenient form factor, which allows one to measure several vital parameters such
as heart rate, respiration, activity, blood pressure, fluid retention, sleep
disorder and numerous other physiological parameters which are useful and
relevant to healthy population or a specific segment of patient population.
Several such devices have been described in the literature. One key aspect of
such devices is the patch form factor that could significantly affect the
convenience and usability of such patches. The smaller is the patch the more
convenient, usable and highly adaptable such a device becomes. One of the key
features of such device is the ability to measure heart function using ECG
signals. That can be accomplished in one, two or three electrode configuration-
where the number of electrode, distance between the electrodes has a bearing on
patch size and quality of ECG signals. Additional parameters that can be
deduced from EKG or EKG signals are additional physiological signs such as
heart rate, heart rate variation, respiration, fluid retention, sleep functions
etc. Numerous health care organizations, physician association, technological
and regulatory bodies have stated the underlying benefits of such devices for
chronic disease and lifestyle management. However, even after a decade of
technical attempts there are no widely available commercial solutions. One of
the reasons for that is the difficulty in making such sensing patches cheap
with high sensitivity and low signal to noise ratio.
Several
concepts are described below which I believe could lead to useful directions.
These are thought level concepts and no experiments have been performed. For
compositional ideas experiments may be necessary to understand the real benefit
they may provide. Based on the business direction one or more of these thoughts
could be further developed and tested.
Problem Description: Improve
signal to noise in a one lead wearable sensing patch device where the size of
the patch is desirably very small.
Solution: Enhanced
signal by capturing from a wider signal area by making one of the electrodes
very large in two electrode single lead system. Electrode 1 (as shown in the
illustration below) could be a conductive hydrogel. Electrode 2 could be
realized by conductive hydrogel, conductive pressure sensitive adhesive or
other suitable electrically conductive material. The position of Electrode
could be in any concentric position from the center and need not be a
continuous shape as shown in the illustration below.
(Figure 1)
Problem Description: Improve
signal to noise in a small wearable sensing patch device where the size of the
patch is desirably very small. Body contours, sexuality, topography, skin
condition, presence of hair and ot...