Systems, methods, components, and software for monitoring and notification of vital sign changes

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring and notification of injury wherein an individual wears a monitoring device, the monitoring device tracks biometric data such as blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and acceleration of the individual and sends the data to a base station, the base station analyzes the data to see if bodily changes such as decreased blood oxygen levels or significant changes in heart rate or acceleration has occurred, and the base station determines whether to sound an alarm to indicate death or severe bodily injury.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An emergency alarm apparatus that notifies a person about another person's injury when an injury detection means detects an injury, wherein said apparatus comprises:
 an injury detection means;   an emergency alarm apparatus; and   an inquiry means for inquiring, when said injury detection means detects an injury, whether said emergency alarm apparatus should make a notification about the injury,   wherein said inquiry means inquires whether said emergency alarm apparatus should make a notification about the injury by sending data collected by said injury detection means to said base station, wherein said base station determines if changes to said data have met a minimum threshold required for notification, and wherein said base station determines whether to send a command to said emergency alarm apparatus commanding said emergency alarm apparatus to make a notification.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data collected is blood oxygen level data. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data collected is heart rate data. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data collected is acceleration data. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said notification is an audible notification. 
     
     
         6 . A method for determining initiation of an emergency alarm apparatus to notify a person about another person's injury, wherein said apparatus comprises a detector for detecting an injury of the another person, an alarm apparatus, and a base station located remotely from the detector and used for determining, when said detector detects an injury, whether said emergency alarm apparatus should be initiated to make a notification about the detected injury, wherein the method comprises:
 collecting data using the detector;   sending data collected by the detector to the base station,   determining via the base station that a change in the collected data meets a minimum threshold required for notification, and   sending a command from the base station to the alarm apparatus commanding the alarm apparatus to make a notification.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the alarm apparatus is an audio alarm that produces a sound, and wherein the method further comprises: sounding the audio alarm of the alarm apparatus after receipt of the command from the base station. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising a wearable device, wherein the wearable device includes:
 a circuit-board enclosure having a cradle containing a removable battery, wherein the cradle is in engagement with a transceiver module for contacting a wrist of a person;   an adjustable strap for encircling the wrist and removably attaching the wearable device to the wrist, the adjustable strap having a first and a second portion sandwiched between a portion of the transceiver module and a portion of the cradle, with one of the adjustable strap portions being an end of the adjustable strap;   a pulse oximeter for sensing change in a blood-related parameter; and   a transmitter for transmitting the blood-related parameter and the body movement.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the pulse oximeter is configured to sense a change in oxygen saturation of the person. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising a wearable device, wherein the wearable device includes:
 a sensor removably attachable to a body of a person for sensing change in a physical body condition of the person;   a detector responsive to the sensor for determining whether the person is experiencing an emergency medical condition; and   a transmitter for transmitting a signal indicative of the detected emergency medical condition determined by the detector to a computing device,   wherein the sensor, the detector, and the transmitter are provided on a strap, the sensor, the detector, and the transmitter being sandwiched between portions of the strap, and   wherein the computing device is provided at a location remote to the person and the wearable device.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises a finger-mountable pulse oximeter. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises a pulse oximeter for sensing change in oxygen saturation of the person. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the change in a physical body condition sensed by the sensor is related to body movement. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises a circuit-board enclosure having a cradle containing a removable battery, wherein the cradle is in engagement with a transceiver module for contacting skin of the body of the person.