Body worn physiological sensor device having a disposable electrode module
View Patent ↗A body worn patient monitoring device includes a flexible substrate having a plurality of electrical connections adapted to be coupled to a skin surface to measure physiological signals. The flexible substrate is adapted to be directly and non-permanently affixed to a skin surface of a patient and configured for single patient use. A communication-computation module, removably attached to an upper surface of the flexible substrate, is configured to receive physiological signals from the flexible substrate and includes a microprocessor that is configured to process and analyze the physiological signals. A series of resistive traces screened onto the flexible substrate are configured as at least one series current-limiting resistor to protect the communication-computation module.
1. A method for manufacturing a body-worn physiological sensor, the method comprising:
providing a disposable substrate made from an insulating material, said substrate comprising:
a flexible printed circuit board layer made from the insulating material;
at least two electrodes disposed on the disposable substrate; and
conductive traces defined between the at least two electrodes;
providing a computation-communication module, said module comprising:
a housing;
a processor disposed in the housing; and
attaching the computation-communication module to the disposable substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing conductive traces in the flexible circuit layer.
3. The method of claim 2 , in which the conductive traces are configured on the flexible circuit layer to electrically couple with the attached computation-communication module.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of openings in the flexible printed circuit board layer, the openings being sized for receiving electrode gels.
5. The method of claim 1 , in which the computation-communication module is releasably attached to the disposable substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a radio circuit in the computation-communication module.
7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
at least partially covering the conductive traces with an insulating covering.
8. The method of claim 7 , in which the insulating covering is a fabric.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
integrating at least two electrodes into the flexible printed circuit board layer of the disposable substrate.
10. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
screening the conductive traces onto the flexible printed circuit board layer.
11. The method of claim 9 , in which each electrode includes an electrode gel and a conductive surface defining a half cell.
12. The method of claim 11 , in which the disposable substrate is crescent shaped and in which the body-worn physiological sensor is worn on the chest of a patient.
13. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
providing a pacer circuit in the flexible printed circuit board layer of the disposable substrate.
14. A body-worn physiological sensor made by the process of:
providing a disposable substrate made from an insulating material, said substrate comprising:
a flexible printed circuit board layer made from an insulating material;
at least two electrodes disposed on the disposable substrate; and
conductive traces defined between the at least two electrodes;
providing a computation-communication module, said module comprising:
a housing;
a processor disposed in the housing; and
attaching the computation-communication module to the disposable substrate.
15. The body-worn physiological sensor of claim 14 , wherein the process further comprises:
providing the conductive traces in the flexible printed circuit board layer.
16. The body-worn physiological sensor of claim 15 , in which the process further comprises:
configuring the conductive traces in the flexible printed circuit board layer to electrically couple with the attached computation-communication module.
17. The body-worn physiological sensor of claim 14 , in which the computation-communication module is releasably attached to the disposable substrate.
18. The body-worn physiological sensor of claim 14 , wherein the process further comprises:
providing the computation-communication module with a radio circuit.
19. The body-worn physiological sensor of claim 16 , in which the process further comprises:
at least partially covering the conductive traces with an insulating covering.
20. The body-worn physiological sensor of claim 14 , in which the process further comprises:
integrating at least two electrodes into the flexible printed circuit board layer of the disposable substrate.