Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2001-08-21
Sykes, Angela D. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
C600S500000, C362S104000, C362S571000, C362S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06277079
ABSTRACT:
This application relates to earrings and heartbeat monitors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Flashing earrings are known. These are usually worn as novelty items. One such earring is an earring shaped like a small Christmas tree powered by a small battery. These earrings are seen occasionally at Christmas parties.
Many types of heartbeat monitors are known. These include pressure monitors; the simplest being a finger pressed against an artery. A well-known technique for measuring heartbeat utilizes a infrared (IR) light emitting diode (LED)/photocell combination. This technique is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,239,048, 4,100,536 and 4,407,295, each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Infrared light will travel several centimeters through typical human skin tissue. Its absorption is much greater in blood. Thus, an IR LED is pressed against skin tissue near an artery and emits pulsed infrared light into the skin. A photocell is placed against the skin near the IR LED and measures light scattered from or transmitted through the skin. The signal received by the photocell varies as the blood surges in the tissue near the photocell and the IR LED with each beat of the person's heart. It is known that a person's earlobe is a good place to place the IR LED/photocell instrument since the carotid artery runs close to the ear. In prior art devices signals from the photocell are typically transmitted to a comparator, which calculates the rate of heart, beat and the resulting rate is displayed on a monitor.
What is needed is a simple method of displaying heartbeat by means of visible light flashes with a device that can be worn as a novelty item.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an earring that flashes in synchronism with the wearer's heartbeat. A pulsed IR LED/photocell combination is built into an earring along with a comparator and a visible light-emitting source. The comparator determines when the heart has beat from the variation in the signal from the photocell and transmits a signal to a solid state switch to turn on the visible light-emitting source. Thus, the light emitting source flashes once for each heart beat. In a preferred use of the present invention a lover is able to determine when his or her partner is excited by observing the rate at which the partner's earring flashes. The invention may also be used for medical monitoring of patients.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4296459 (1981-10-01), DeLuca
patent: 4791536 (1988-12-01), James
patent: 4912608 (1990-03-01), Lee
Avicola Ken
Morton Richard G.
Ross John R.
Carter Ryan
Ross John R.
Ross, III John R.
Sykes Angela D.
LandOfFree
Flashing earring heartbeat monitor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flashing earring heartbeat monitor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flashing earring heartbeat monitor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2442573