Wireless cardiac sensor

Abstract

A wireless cardiac sensor is provided. The sensor may be utilized by a patient, on themselves, in an at home or other non-clinical environment. A sensor housing contains ECG electrodes and an audio transducer to simultaneously capture heart sound and ECG data with a single device. The ECG electrodes may be positioned on opposite sides of, and preferably adjacent to, an audio transducer sensor, for placement against a user's chest. The wireless cardiac sensor may include a button on a surface opposite the ECG electrodes and audio sensor, facilitating one-handed operation by a patient. The sensor transmits acquired data to a personal electronic device, such as a smartphone, via a wireless communication link. The personal electronic device may in turn transmit data to a centralized server and/or health care provider devices, via a wide area network.

1 . A method for monitoring the cardiac function of a human using a wireless cardiac sensor and a smartphone, the method comprising the steps of:
 initiating a cardiac monitoring application on the smartphone;   positioning against the human's chest, a wireless cardiac sensor device comprising an audio transducer sensor and a plurality of ECG electrodes, the sensors arranged within a unitary wireless cardiac sensor housing on a first side thereof;   initiating cardiac monitoring of the human by pressing a button positioned directly over said sensors, the button set within a second side of the unitary wireless cardiac sensor housing opposite said first side thereof, whereby the wireless cardiac sensor device captures data indicative of the human's cardiac function via the ECG electrodes and audio transducer sensor;   transmitting data indicative of cardiac function from the wireless cardiac sensor device to the smartphone via a wireless communications link; and   displaying cardiac diagnostic information on a display screen within the smartphone, the cardiac diagnostic information derived from the data transmitted from the wireless cardiac sensor device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of initiating a cardiac monitoring application on the smartphone comprises displaying, on the smartphone, instructions for positioning of said wireless cardiac sensor device on the human's chest. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said button is centered over said audio transducer sensor and ECG electrodes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of positioning against the human's chest a wireless cardiac sensor device, comprises the substep of holding the wireless cardiac sensor device by the human against their own chest using one hand, with one finger positioned over the button. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the data indicative of cardiac function from the smartphone to a network-connected server; and storing the data by the network-connected server for subsequent analysis by a health care professional. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the data indicative of cardiac function from the smartphone to a health care professional computing device via the Internet, for remote diagnostic analysis.