Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2001-04-03
Getzow, Scott M. (Department: 3762)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212427
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Each individual has a heart that beats during any given moment at a certain rate generally measured in beats per minute. The heart rate of each individual, however, is generally not constant. Instead, an individual's heart rate varies typically from beat to beat. Tile variation in heart rate is referred to as Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV depends upon moment to moment influences of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity of an individual's body. HRV is integral to an individual's response to a wide range of daily influences, including those due to external environment, and those factors directly associated with an individual including breathing patterns, internal physiology, and psychology. An individual's ability to adapt to these influences is directly related to HRV. Thus, HRV can be an important indicator of an individual's fitness level or health condition.
For instance, impairment of an individual's adaptive abilities may lead to development of cardiac, respiratory and immune disorders. Many disorders typically result in decreased HRV of the individual. Decreased HRV relates to many disorders including hypertension, ventricular arrhythmia, heart disease, including myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome, chronic fatigue, panic disorder, and impending death caused by these and other disorders. The decrease in HRV in these and other disorders typically is related to a decrease in parasympathetic activity, an increase in sympathetic activity, or a disruption in how these two systems interact with one another.
Many health and fitness conditions could be improved if HRV of an individual was known by the individual throughout the day. Feedback given to an individual based on proper monitoring of HRV could then prompt some type of immediate corrective or therapeutic action by the individual. For instance, corrective or therapeutic action could be applied in areas including heart conditions, diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome, chronic fatigue, panic disorder, and respiration.
Unfortunately, prior art devices which monitor HRV are not conducive for use during normal activities throughout the day and night by individuals. Typically, individuals being monitored by prior art devices must go to a clinic or hospital where an HRV monitor is located. Also, these prior art devices do not provide feedback to individuals being monitored. Other prior art devices have been portable, however, these devices determine only heart rate levels but not HRV. Neither the measurement capabilities nor the feedback criteria involve HRV since only absolute levels of heart rate are of interest with these prior art portable devices. The limited accessibility with the lack of feedback of prior art monitors and the lack of HRV monitoring of other prior art devices does not alert individuals of HRV conditions during their normal activities throughout the day and night. Thus, opportunities to improve health and fitness conditions of individuals remain unfulfilled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art and provides additional benefits by providing a heart rate variability (HRV) feedback monitor system. The HRV feedback monitor allows for expanded accessibility under a wide range of activities. As part of the feedback provided, the HRV feedback monitor furnishes effective feedback that is directly related to areas of concern. The feedback is also discrete in nature. This in addition to other aspects of the invention provides effective, discrete, and timely HRV monitoring and feedback without being overly burdensome. Thus, the invention overcomes the problems and difficulties posed by the prior art systems and provides numerous additional benefits.
Aspects of the invention are directed to an HRV feedback monitor system for a user. An aspect of the invention includes a sensor package sized and configured to be worn by the user. A plurality of electrodes affixed to the sensor package are configured to produce electrical signals based on electrical activity of the user's heart. A vibration output device affixed to the sensor package is configured to transmit a vibration signal perceptible by the user when the output device is activated. A memory, affixed to housing, stores HRV feedback criteria. A processor, affixed to the housing and coupled to the electrodes, the vibration output device and the memory, is configured to receive digital signals associated with the electrical signals produced by the electrodes and to determine HRV based on the digital signals. The processor is configured to transmit an activation signal to activate the vibration output device based on whether the determined HRV satisfies HRV feedback criteria. A user control coupled to the processor allows a user to select an operational mode having particular HRV feedback criteria from a plurality of operational modes under which the processor operates.
In another aspect of the invention, the sensor package is an integral part of a housing. The processor is further configured to adjust the HRV feedback criteria of the selected operational mode based on the determined HRV signals. The operational modes include Percent Time Amplitude Mode, Threshold Amplitude Mode, Media Frequency Mode, Prompted Exercise Mode, or Threshold Shaping Mode. A slave output is electrically coupled to the processor by an electrical cable external to the housing in one aspect and by a wireless communication link in another aspect of the invention.
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Berntson et al., “Heart Rate Variability: Origins, Methods, and Interpretive Caveats,” Committee Report,Psychophys., 34:623-648, 1997.
Getzow Scott M.
J&J Engineering
Seed IP Law Group PLLC
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