Surgery – Diagnostic testing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-08
2001-09-04
Winakur, Eric F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
C600S500000, C600S559000, C178S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283915
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an in-the-ear monitoring instrument and method of manufacture, and more particularly to an in-the-ear monitoring instrument that is small and inexpensive so as to be disposable, yet capable of monitoring one or more vital health signs of a user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Monitoring the vital health signs of a patient typically requires excessive time of medical personnel, or the patient being inconvenienced by being connected by wires to bulky monitoring equipment. For example, in a hospital setting, a nurse has to travel from patient-to-patient in order to determine such vital health signs as temperature and pulse. These account for a substantial amount of the nurse's time and do not provide continuous data. Continuously monitoring vital health signs may require the use of cumbersome and expensive equipment, and may cause the patient discomfort and inconvenience because this equipment has to be connected to the patient thereby limiting the patient's mobility. Both the time expended by medical personnel in obtaining vital health signs of patients, as well as the bulky equipment required, can account for a substantial cost in caring for patients.
It would therefore be desirable to have a simple low cost monitoring instrument which continuously or continually monitors a patients vital health signs and transmits these vital health signs to a remote monitoring unit without the need for the patient being physically connected to the monitoring unit. It would also be most desirous if the monitoring instrument was relatively non-intrusive to the patient and if the monitoring instrument were relatively inexpensive with regard to both the structure of its components and its method of manufacture. In addition, it would be desirable for such a monitoring instrument to have an integral power source and to be so inexpensive that it could be disposed of after its power source expires.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a disposable in-the-ear monitoring instrument including one or more transducers for sensing signals representing vital health signs of a user, electronics for processing the sensed signals, a transmitter for receiving the processed signals and transmitting the processed signals to a remote receiving unit where they can be processed to recover the vital health sign information, and a battery permanently electrically connected to the monitor electronics and transmitter and sealed in the monitoring instrument.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for assembling the disposable in-the-ear monitoring instrument in which electrical components, various transducer components and batteries are connected to an elongated printed circuit strip thereby providing, on the strip, a plurality of assemblies. The strip is cut apart to form individual assembly types, each for a disposable in-the-ear monitoring instrument. Each assembly is placed in a cylindrical shell, and each shell is in-turn placed in an earmold of a soft, durable and compliant material.
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Aceti John Gregory
Leedom Marvin Allan
Sjursen Walter Paul
Astorino Michael
Burke William J.
Sarnoff Corporation
Winakur Eric F.
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