Patent Application
20210345967
The present disclosure generally relates to physiological monitoring systems for neonates, and more particularly to systems and methods for powering wireless physiological sensors on a neonate.
Neonates, particularly premature infants, are often placed within an incubator or a warmer system so that they may have a controlled and monitored environment to aid in their survival and growth. Typically, such neonates require monitoring by physiological sensors. These physiological sensors are typically wired to an incubator or warmer, or to a monitoring device placed on or near the incubator/warmer system. Neonatal incubators, warmers, and other neonatal care systems may include integrated physiological monitoring systems, or monitoring may be done by one or more separate patient monitoring devices. Depending on the physiological parameter being monitored, such monitoring may be conducted continuously or periodically. However, physiological monitoring of the infant is often interrupted, such as when the neonate is moved out of the infant care device for care or treatment, and thus the physiological sensors must be unplugged from the monitoring system.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one embodiment, a neonatal blanket includes a substrate material configured to cover a neonate and at least one antenna on the substrate material, where the antenna is configured to transmit RF energy to power the at least one wireless physiological sensor on the neonate. The blanket further includes a power connector configured to connect to a power source to power the wireless physiological sensor via the antenna.
One embodiment of a physiological monitoring system for a neonate includes at least one wireless physiological sensor configured to record physiological information from a neonate, and a neonatal blanket. The neonatal blanket comprises a substrate material and at least one antenna on the substrate material, wherein the antenna is configured for wireless communication with and transmission of RF energy to power at least one wireless physiological sensor when the neonate is covered by the blanket. A control circuit is configured to drive RF power to the antenna and configured to receive physiological data from the wireless physiological sensor via the antenna. A wireless transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the physiological data to a device configured to receive patient monitoring data for the neonate. A battery is configured to power the at least one wireless physiological sensor via the antenna and is also configured to power the wireless transmitter.
Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.
The present disclosure is described with reference to the following Figures.
The inventors have recognized that wireless physiological sensors have significant advantages in neonatal monitoring. The problems of dealing with wires while caring for the neonate can be avoided. Wired sensors may be obstructive while caring for an infant, for example, and thus monitoring may need to be interrupted and sensors unplugged from the care device or patient monitoring during certain infant care tasks or procedures. Further, wireless physiological sensors offer an opportunity for continuous monitoring of a neonate while a neonate is being treated by a clinician and/or moved out of the infant care device, such as an incubator or warmer. Neonates are often moved out of and away from the care device for checkups, procedures, other treatments, family visits, etc. Thus, continuous monitoring of the infant is often impossible with wired sensors, as the wired connections are severed when the neonate is not in the care device. Wireless sensors, on the other hand, provide the ability to conduct monitoring as the patient is moved in and out of the infant care device and during procedures where wires might otherwise be in the way.
The inventors have recognized that physiological sensors on neonates, including premature neonates, must be very small and lightweight. Given the small size of neonates, particularly premature neonates who are in most need of continuous monitoring, the sensors must not be too large or heavy in order to be viable for long term use on the neonate. Batteries are often the heaviest elements on wireless sensing devices, and thus the inventors have endeavored to devise a system to power physiological sensors on a neonate that is easy to use within the workflow of neonatal care. The disclosed neonatal physiological monitoring system is configured to wirelessly power one or more wireless physiological sensors on a neonate via one or more antennae incorporated on a neonatal blanket. Thereby, batteries can be eliminated from the wireless physiological sensors, making them much lighter and smaller without compromising functionality or usability.
Each antenna 22 is connected to and receives power from a power source 40, such as via power connection 38 on or connected to the blanket 20. The power source 40 may be any of the various types of power sources. In one embodiment, the power source 40 is a battery 40a (see
With reference also to
Similarly, the antennae 22 and 14 configured to communicate via NFC standard communication may be configured to transmit the physiological data recorded by the sensor 12 from the antenna 14 to the antenna 22 on the blanket 20. In such embodiments, the control circuit 34 may be configured to receive and transmit the physiological data to a patient monitoring device 50 or other device configured to receive patient monitoring data for the neonate. The neonatal blanket may further comprise a wireless transmitter 36 (e.g., a wireless transceiver) configured to transmit the physiological data to a third device or system, such as patient monitor 50. For example, the wireless transmitter 36 may be configured to transmit the physiological data via a second protocol other than NFC, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, ANT, Wi-Fi, etc. The second protocol executed by the wireless transmitter 36 is appropriate for longer-range transmission, such as several feet or even several hundred feet.
In certain embodiments, the control circuit 34 is configured to process the physiological data received from the wireless sensor 12 to create processed physiological data. The processing may include, for example, value determinations based on the physiological data, such as calculation of heart rate, respiration rate, SpO2, temperature, blood pressure, or any other physiological parameter based on the physiological data received from the sensor 12 or from a group of sensors. Each wireless physiological sensor 12 on the neonate may be in communication with a respective antenna 22 on the blanket 20.
The control circuit 34 may be configured to transmit the processed physiological data via the wireless transmitter 36 in addition to or in place of the raw physiological data received from the physiological sensor 12. In other embodiments, the control circuit 34 may incorporate a storage device and may be configured to store the physiological data received from the sensor 12. In one embodiment, the blanket 20 may be configured to connect to a patient monitor 50, care device (e.g., incubator or warmer), or other device configured to receive patient monitoring data for the neonate, such as via USB or other data transfer connection. The blanket 20 may be configured to continue communication and powering the physiological sensors 12 upon disconnection from the data transfer connect for a short duration, such as during transport of the neonate, and may be configured to store the physiological data recorded for the neonate during that disconnected duration. The control circuit 34 may be configured to transfer the stored physiological data upon reconnection to the patient monitor 50 or other device configured to receive patient monitoring data for the infant.
The blanket 20 may include a battery power source 40a connected to and/or integrated into a module 42 on or connected to the substrate 26 on the blanket 20. For example, the module housing 42 encapsulating the control circuit 34. The module housing 42 may further encapsulate the wireless transmitter 36 and/or the battery 40a. In some embodiments, the housing 42 may be plastic or other material appropriate for protecting the electronic devices from damage by handling or egress of fluids, as well as to help insulate from electrical interference.
The electrical sensor 12 may be any type of physiological sensor configured for recording or otherwise obtaining physiological data from the neonate 2. For example, the physiological sensor may be an ECG sensor, an SpO2 sensor, a temperature sensor, a respiration sensor, any other type of sensor available for obtaining physiological data from the neonate 2. The physiological sensor 12 may include an electrode 13 or other detector or sensing element for recording or obtaining physiological data from the neonate 2. The wireless physiological sensor 12 further includes an on-sensor control circuit 16 connected to the antenna 14 and configured to receive RF energy and/or communicate with the control circuit 34 on the blanket 20. The on-sensor control circuit 16 is configured to digitize the physiological data prior to transmission and thus, comprises an analog to digital converter. The control circuit 16 may further be configured to perform certain data preprocessing tasks, such as filtering and/or amplification prior to transmission of the physiological data to the blanket 20.
One or more antennae 22 are on the substrate material 26, such as adhered to or integrated into the substrate material. In one embodiment, the antennae 22 may be adhered to the substrate 26 by printing conductive ink onto the substrate 26. In another embodiment, the antennae 22 may be formed by silk-screening a conductive material onto the substrate 26. In still other embodiments, the antennae 22 may be formed by gluing or otherwise adhering conductive traces, such as a foil or wire, onto the substrate 26. In still other embodiments, the antennae 22 may be formed by sewing or weaving conductive fibers into the substrate 26, such as a metallic thread sewn onto or woven into the material the concentric shape illustrated in
The blanket 20 may include various numbers of one or more antennae 22. In one embodiment, at least two antennae at different locations on the substrate 26, such as arranged on the substrate such that they align with locations, or potential locations, of sensors on the neonate when the blanket 20 covers or is wrapped around the neonate 2.
In certain embodiments, the blanket 20 may include multiple antennae 22 arranged on the substrate such that they are likely to align with locations of various types of wireless physiological sensors 12 on the neonate. For instance, as demonstrated in
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have features or structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent features or structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
