PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING APPARATUS AND NETWORKS
Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed.
1 . A network for monitoring and communicating physiological information, the network comprising:
a portable telecommunication device;
an apparatus adapted to be worn by a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of sensors configured to sense electrical, mechanical, electromagnetic, and/or acoustical information from the subject;
a transmitter responsive to the at least one processor that is configured to transmit the extracted signal to the portable telecommunication device; and
an audio speaker configured to provide audible information to the subject;
at least one processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one processor is integrated within the portable telecommunication device and/or the apparatus, wherein the at least one processor is configured to process signals produced by the plurality of sensors to generate an extracted signal that comprises cleaner information about at least one of the following: yawning, swallowing, eating, masticating, sleeping, teeth grinding, jaw movements, a change in bite, changes in speech, changes in voice, coughing, snoring, sneezing, laughing, eye muscle movements, organ functioning, cardiovascular performance, pulmonary performance, emotional states, and muscle tension; and
memory coupled to the at least one processor that is configured to store information from the plurality of sensors.
2 . The network of claim 1 , further comprising a remote device having at least one database, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the extracted signal to the remote device for storage in the at least one database.
3 . The network of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is integrated within the portable telecommunication device and/or the apparatus and/or the remote device.
4 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be worn at the ear or head of the subject.
5 . The network of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises an acoustical sensor.
6 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one optical emitter configured to direct optical energy upon a region of a body of the subject, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises an optical detector configured to measure optical energy absorbed, reflected, or scattered from the body region.
7 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one environmental sensor configured to sense environmental information in a vicinity of the subject.
8 . The network of claim 7 , wherein the memory comprises an algorithm that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to focus the at least one processor on processing selected signals produced by the plurality of sensors and/or the at least one environmental sensor.
9 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is configured to modify an algorithm stored in the memory and/or upload an algorithm to the memory.
10 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the network is configured to monitor at least one habit of the subject.
11 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises an algorithm that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to identify an occurrence of a habit of the subject, to log a time when the habit occurs, and to count the number of times a day the habit has occurred.
12 . The network of claim 11 , wherein the algorithm is configured to monitor physiological and/or psychological stress during the occurrence of the habit.
13 . The network of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one environmental sensor configured to sense environmental information in a vicinity of the subject, wherein the algorithm is configured to store environmental information at a time of the occurrence of the habit, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to process the stored environmental information to determine what environmental factors caused the physiological and/or psychological stress.
14 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one filter coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one filter is configured to clean up signals from one or more of the plurality of sensors.
15 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the portable telecommunication device is configured to transfer commands to the apparatus.
16 . The network of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured to be controlled, activated, or deactivated in response to a command transferred from the telecommunication device.
17 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are at least partially integrated into a sensor module.
18 . The network of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to selectively remove signals from one of the plurality of sensors based on signals generated by another one of the plurality of sensors to generate the extracted signal.
19 . A wearable apparatus for monitoring a habit of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of sensors;
at least one processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one processor is configured to process signals produced by the plurality of sensors; and
memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises an algorithm that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to identify an occurrence of the habit via signals produced by the plurality of sensors, to log a time when the habit occurs, and to count the number of times a day the habit has occurred.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the algorithm, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to monitor physiological and/or psychological stress during the occurrence of the habit.
21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising an audio speaker configured to provide audible information to the subject.
22 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be worn at the ear or head of the subject.
23 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises an acoustical sensor.
24 . An apparatus adapted to be worn near the ear or head of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
at least one sensor configured to sense electrical, mechanical, electromagnetic, and/or acoustical information from the subject;
an audio speaker configured to communicate audible information to the subject;
data storage comprising an algorithm for processing signals from the at least one sensor;
at least one processor coupled to the at least one sensor and to the data storage, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the algorithm to process signals produced by the at least one sensor to generate processed signals containing physiological information of the subject; and
a transmitter responsive to the at least one processor that is configured to transmit the processed signals to a remote device and/or a portable telecommunication device.
25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the data storage comprises an algorithm that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to focus the at least one processor on processing selected signals produced by the at least one sensor.
26 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the at least one processor is responsive to at least one command received from a remote device to focus on processing selected signals produced by the at least one sensor.
27 . The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising at least one environmental sensor configured to sense environmental information in a vicinity of the subject.
28 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical emitter configured to direct optical energy upon a region of the body of the subject and an optical detector configured to measure optical energy absorbed, reflected, or scattered from the body of the subject.
29 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, and wherein the plurality of sensors are integrated into a sensor module.
30 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one sensor is located near one ear of the subject and wherein at least one other sensor is located near the other ear of the subject.
31 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmitter or a wired transmitter.
32 . The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the at least one signal processor is configured to process the at least one sensor signal to generate at least one extracted signal associated with at least one of the following: yawning, swallowing, eating, masticating, sleeping, teeth grinding, jaw movements, a change in bite, changes in speech, changes in voice, coughing, snoring, sneezing, laughing, eye muscle movements, organ functioning, cardiovascular performance, pulmonary performance, emotional states, and muscle tension.