Vital signs monitoring using personal protective equipment

摘要

A vital signs monitor system is integrated with personal protective equipment (“PPE”) so that upon wearing the PPE, the monitor is placed in an operational position to monitor a vital sign. In one embodiment, the vital signs sensor comprises a thermal sensor located at a mouth guard to automatically make operational contact with tissue under the tongue when the mouth guard is worn. A second vital signs monitor comprising reflective pulse oximetry devices senses oxygen saturation and heart rate. Vital signs data are communicated to an RF module located in an associated helmet for transmission to a remote location. A gateway at that remote location receives the transmitted vital signs data and forwards that data to a data collection, organization, and access system that is programmed to make the vital signs data available over the Internet. Medical personnel, coaches, supervisors at the location of the PPE can monitor the vital signs of the wearer by accessing the data collection, organization, and access system with hand held, or portable computing equipment over the Internet.

主权项

1. A vital signs monitoring system formed as an integral part of personal protective equipment for users, and configured to provide real-time vital signs data of a user, the vital signs monitoring system comprising:
a mouth guard configured to be worn over upper teeth in an oral cavity of a user to provide protection while leaving a roof of a user's mouth uncovered, the mouth guard having a front and a top; a temperature sensor configured to provide temperature data representative of a sensed temperature, the temperature sensor mounted at the top of the front of the mouth guard in a position such that when the mouth guard is correctly worn by a user, the temperature sensor is automatically placed in contact with a mucosal membrane above a gum line and outside a breathing passageway, wherein the temperature sensor is protected from exposure to ambient air and moving breathing air; a flexible tether having a first end attached to the front of the mouth guard, a second end configured for attachment to another equipment located outside a user's mouth, and a tether length between the first end and the second end, the tether length extending from the first end outside a user's mouth; and a controller module forming a part of the length of the tether at a position outside a user's mouth, the controller module comprising a power source, a processor, and a transmitter, the processor configured to receive the sensed temperature data from the temperature sensor and to control the transmitter to wirelessly transmit the received temperature data to a remote location.