Wireless Biological Monitoring

Abstract

A patient monitoring system includes: a biomedical sensor including: a transducer configured to produce a signal corresponding to a biological function; a sensor converter configured to convert the signal to a converted signal; and a transmitter configured to produce a communication, based on the converted signal, that is indicative of one or more values of the biological function, and to send the communication wirelessly; and a base station including: a receiver configured to receive the communication wirelessly and to produce a receiver output signal; a base station interface configured to produce a base station output signal indicative of the one or more values of the biological function; and at least one output port to receive the base station output signal and configured to be hard-wire connected to a display that is configured to display information indicative of the biological function.

1 . A patient monitoring system comprising:
 a biomedical sensor comprising:
 a transducer configured to sense a biological function and to produce an analog signal corresponding to the biological function; 
 a sensor converter communicatively coupled to the transducer and configured to convert the analog signal to a converted signal; and 
 a transmitter communicatively coupled to the sensor converter and configured to produce a communication, based on the converted signal, that is indicative of one or more values of the biological function, and to send the communication wirelessly; and 
   a base station configured to communicate wirelessly with the biomedical sensor, the base station comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive the communication wirelessly and to produce a receiver output signal corresponding to the communication; 
 a base station interface communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to produce a base station output signal indicative of the one or more values of the biological function; and 
 at least one output port communicatively coupled to the base station interface to receive the base station output signal, the at least one output being configured to be hard-wire connected to a display that is configured to display information indicative of the biological function. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the analog signal is a first analog signal and the base station interface comprises a base station converter configured to produce a second analog signal as the base station output signal. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a tocodynamometer transducer and the system comprises a processor configured to send a calibration signal to cause the transducer to be calibrated. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to send the calibration signal in response to the biomedical sensor being disposed proximate to the base station. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein to determine that the biomedical sensor is disposed proximate to the base station, the processor is configured to determine that the base station is charging the biomedical sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the processor is a base station processor disposed in the base station and configured to cause the calibration signal to be sent to the biomedical sensor, the calibration signal indicating for a sensor processor disposed in the biomedical sensor to calibrate the transducer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the processor is a sensor processor disposed in the biomedical sensor and coupled to the transducer, the sensor processor being configured to send the calibration signal to the transducer to cause the transducer to adjust a variable parameter of the transducer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to send the calibration signal in response to the biomedical sensor being docked to the base station. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the transducer comprises:
 a Wheatstone bridge configured to be calibrated by adjustment of a variable resistor of the Wheatstone bridge; or   a voice coil configured to be calibrated by adjustment of a current supplied to a coil of the voice coil.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the biomedical sensor further comprises a sensor processor and the base station further comprises a base station processor, wherein the sensor processor and the base station processor are configured to perform a handshake to establish exclusive communication between the biomedical sensor and the base station. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor processor is, or the base station processor is, or the sensor processor and the base station processor are, configured to initiate the handshake in response to the biomedical sensor being disposed proximate to the base station. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor processor and the base station processor are configured to communicate with each other, to the exclusion of other base stations or other biomedical sensors, following the handshake until another handshake occurs between the base station processor and either the sensor processor or another sensor processor. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer is an ultrasound transducer, and wherein the sensor converter comprises a quadrature modulator configured to convert the analog signal such that the converted signal includes quadrature signal components. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station output is a digital signal. 
     
     
         15 . A patient monitoring system comprising:
 a biomedical sensor configured to be attached to a patient and comprising:
 a sensor processor; 
 a sensor transceiver communicatively coupled to the sensor processor; and 
 a measurement unit comprising:
 an ultrasound unit configured to sense a fetal heartbeat and provide fetal heartbeat information; and/or 
 a tocodynamometer configured to sense uterine contractions and provide uterine contraction information; 
 
 the transceiver being communicatively coupled to the measurement unit and configured to transmit, wirelessly, biomedical monitoring signals indicative of the fetal heartbeat information and/or the uterine contraction information; and 
   a base station including:
 a base station transceiver; and 
 a base station processor communicatively coupled to the base station transceiver and configured to communicate wirelessly with the sensor processor via the base station transceiver and the sensor transceiver to establish a wireless communication arrangement between the biomedical sensor and the base station to inhibit devices other than the base station from determining the fetal heartbeat information or the uterine contraction information from the biomedical monitoring signals. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the base station processor is configured to initiate establishment of the wireless communication arrangement in response to the biomedical sensor coming in close proximity to the base station, or the base station processor is configured to initiate establishment of the wireless communication arrangement in response to the biomedical sensor being docked with the base station, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the base station processor is configured to communicate with the sensor processor according to the wireless communication arrangement until the biomedical sensor leaves close proximity to the base station and either the biomedical sensor or another biomedical sensor comes in close proximity to the base station, or the base station processor is configured to communicate with the sensor processor according to the wireless communication arrangement until the biomedical sensor is de-docked from the base station and either the biomedical sensor or another biomedical sensor is docked with the base station, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the measurement unit includes the tocodynamometer and the base station processor is configured to send a calibration signal to the biomedical sensor to cause the biomedical sensor to calibrate the tocodynamometer, the base station processor being configured to send the calibration signal in response to the biomedical sensor coming in close proximity to the base station, or the biomedical sensor being docked with the base station, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A biological function sensing and reporting method comprising:
 measuring a biological function at a sensor;   providing an analog signal indicative of a value of the biological function;   wirelessly transmitting an indication of the value of the biological function from the sensor to a base station;   producing, at the base station, an output signal based on the indication of the value of the biological function; and   providing the output signal to an output port of the base station, the output port being configured to be hard-wire connected to a monitor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the analog signal is a first analog signal and producing the output signal comprises producing a second analog signal by attempting to reproduce the first analog signal.