Physiological and Environmental Monitoring Systems and Methods
Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.
1 - 89 . (canceled)
90 . An entertainment system, comprising:
a gaming device; and
a plurality of portable monitoring apparatuses in communication with the gaming device, wherein each portable monitoring apparatus is associated with a respective person and is configured to transmit physiological information from the respective person and/or environmental information in a vicinity of the respective person to the gaming device;
wherein the gaming device is configured to display physiological information and/or environmental information received from each monitoring apparatus.
91 . The system of claim 90 , wherein each portable monitoring apparatus comprises a housing, at least one physiological sensor attached to the housing and/or at least one environmental sensor attached to the housing, wherein each physiological sensor is configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from a respective person, and wherein each environmental sensor is configured to detect and/or measure environmental conditions in a vicinity of the respective person.
92 . An entertainment system, comprising:
a gaming device; and
a plurality of portable, monitoring apparatuses in communication with the gaming device, wherein each portable monitoring apparatus is associated with a respective person and is configured to transmit physiological information from the respective person and/or environmental information in a vicinity of the respective person wirelessly to the gaming device;
wherein the gaming device is configured to integrate into the gaming strategy physiological information and/or environmental information received from each monitoring apparatus.
93 . The system of claim 92 , wherein each monitoring apparatus comprises a housing, at least one physiological sensor attached to the housing and/or at least one environmental sensor attached to the housing, wherein each physiological sensor is configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from a respective person, and wherein each environmental sensor is configured to detect and/or measure environmental conditions in a vicinity of the respective person.
94 . The system of claim 92 wherein each portable monitoring apparatus is configured to be worn on or around the ear.
95 . A method of interacting with an electronic game, comprising:
collecting physiological and/or environmental information from a monitoring device associated with a person, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one physiological sensor and/or environmental sensor, wherein each physiological sensor is configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from the person, and wherein each environmental sensor is configured to detect and/or measure environmental conditions in a vicinity of the person;
analyzing the collected information to identify one or more health and/or environmental issues associated with the person;
sending the identified one or more health and/or environmental issues to a gaming device; and
incorporating the identified one or more health and/or environmental issues into a strategy of a game executing on the gaming device.
96 . The method of claim 95 , further comprising creating a gaming character based on the person using the identified one or more health and/or environmental issues.
97 . The method of claim 95 , further comprising providing biofeedback to the person for improving at least one skill associated with the electronic game.
98 . (canceled)
99 . The system of claim 90 , wherein each portable monitoring device further comprises a motion sensor that measures body motion of a respective person, and a processor that removes corrupted signals associated with body motion of the person from the physiological and environmental information.
100 . The system of claim 99 , wherein the motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, acoustic sensors, MEMS motion sensors, optical sensors and gyroscopes.
101 . The system of claim 90 , wherein each portable monitoring device is an earpiece module.
102 . The system of claim 92 , wherein each portable monitoring device further comprises a motion sensor that measures body motion of a respective person, and a processor that removes corrupted signals associated with body motion of the person from the physiological and environmental information.
103 . The system of claim 102 , wherein the motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, acoustic sensors, MEMS motion sensors, optical sensors and gyroscopes.
104 . The system of claim 92 , wherein each portable monitoring device is an earpiece module.
105 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the monitoring device further comprises a motion sensor that measures body motion of the person, and a processor that removes corrupted signals associated with body motion of the person from the physiological and environmental information.
106 . The method of claim 105 , wherein the motion sensor is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, acoustic sensors, MEMS motion sensors, optical sensors and gyroscopes.
107 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the monitoring device is an earpiece module.