Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Patent
1997-01-12
2000-09-19
Casler, Brian L.
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
600484, 600534, A61B 505
Patent
active
061225371
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an apparatus for detecting vital functions of living bodies, and more particularly to an apparatus for detecting vital functions of living bodies by means of electromagnetic signals.
The inventors found that living bodies and therefore also human living bodies surprisingly influence high-frequency electromagnetic signals by virtue of their most important vital functions, that is to say their heartbeat and their respiration activity.
Those vital functions generally take place within known frequency ranges, which with the human heart rate can be from about 0.5 through 3.4 Hz and normally are about 1 through 2 Hz and in the case of respiration can extend between 0.1 and 1.5 Hz. That defines characteristic frequency ranges. Upon the reception and recording of electromagnetic signals those frequency ranges are visible when people are in the reception region. In addition it is possible to provide information about the number of people located, on the basis of received and also processed signals. In that respect, use is made of the principle of biological variety and specificity, on the basis of which the heart and respiration frequency patterns of different people differ. For four or more people however, it is generally no longer possible clearly to distinguish between the number of people by virtue of the frequency superimposition of the respective frequencies. As from that number of people it is then only possible to provide the information that: there are at least four people present.
In any event a frequency range of 0.01 through 10 Hz includes all frequencies which are of interest in terms of the vital functions of a human body.
What was surprising was the realisation that even without emitted transmission power, just the receiver device together with the device for obtaining the frequency components which are characteristic of living bodies the inventors were in a position to provide the desired identification effect for the vital functions.
This means that the presence of a living body, at least in the vicinity of the receiver device, already results in detectable signal components in the specified frequency ranges, without in that respect the need for through-radiation with a carrier signal.
With the receiver device for electromagnetic signals and the device for obtaining frequency components which are characteristic in respect of living bodies, without additional emitted signals, the inventors were already in a position of reliably detecting living bodies at up to more than 3 meters distance or approximately the distance of the storey of a building.
In the simplest embodiment of the invention the direct demodulator described hereinafter, in the form of a diode direct receiver for receiving the frequency components which are characteristic in respect of living bodies, was already sufficient.
In addition transmitters were later used, with which through-radiation of the detection area was effected, and reflected, transmitted or scattered radiation was received, the investigation thereof for pronounced frequency components providing the proof of the presence of living bodies.
So that electromagnetic radiation can still be received through dense debris, even at some distance, frequencies of the electromagnetic radiation of some hundred megahertz to about 10 gigahertz were used, which ensured a high depth of penetration.
That radiation experienced phase modulation which added side bands displaced by some Hertz to the high-frequency carrier signal. With conventional reception procedures, detection of frequency bands which are so close together would have required short term-stable oscillators with deviations of less than 10.sup.-12, which hitherto was considered to be unattainable at reasonable cost. That problem is made more acute by the low levels of received signal powers.
Some of the advantages of the embodiments described herein are discussed hereinafter.
The use of known phase modulators initially appears obvious. Homodyne, hetero
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Y. Lipkin et al., "Microwave Repiration Monitor", 1979 Carnahan Conference n Crime and Countermeasures, pp. 53-56, May 16-18, Lexington, Kentucky, May 1979.
Casler Brian L.
Selectornic Gesellschaft fur Sicherheitstechnik und Sonderelektr
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