Method and apparatus for monitoring vital signs remotely

1. A system for monitoring heart and respiration rates of a human subject at rest, comprising, in operative condition:

a sensing unit having (i) a fluid or gas-filled pad adapted for use with a mattress or chair support, for cushioning at least an upper body portion of a subject lying on or resting against the mattress or chair support, and (ii) a pressure sensor in gas or fluid communication with gas or fluid in the fluid or gas-filled pad, for generating electrical signals in response to pressure variations within the fluid or gas in the pad;

a first pump in fluid or gas communication with the fluid or gas filled pad for maintaining fluid or gas within the pad at a selected pressure or within a defined pressure range;

an ambient-null device comprising a fluid or gas-filled ambient pad, a weight carried on the ambient pad, for exerting pressure thereon, and an ambient pressure sensor in fluid or gas communication with fluid in the ambient pad, for generating electrical signals in response to pressure changes within the fluid or gas, in response to ambient motion in the vicinity of the subject, wherein the fluid or gas-filled ambient pad is in fluid or gas communication with a second pump for filling the fluid or gas-filled ambient pad; and

a monitoring unit operatively connected to the sensing unit and the ambient-null device, the monitoring unit configured to: (i) receive signals from the sensing unit and the ambient-null device, (ii) process signals received from the sensing unit and the ambient-null device to filter ambient motion from pressure variations indicated by signals received from the sensing unit, (iii) generate information about the heart and respiration rates of the subject using the signals received from the sensing unit that have been filtered to remove the ambient motion, and (iv) relay such information to a monitoring station or individual.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor of the sensing unit and the ambient pressure sensor of the ambient-null device are the same type of sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more movement sensors in operative communication with the monitoring unit, wherein the monitoring unit uses signals received from both the movement sensors and the sensing unit to determine the presence of a person on the mattress or chair support.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to determine an average static pressure within the fluid or gas-filled pad of the sensing unit and calculate a weight of the subject using the determined average static pressure.

5. The system of 1 , wherein said monitoring unit includes a processor operative to (i) generate heart-rate information of the subject, based on time-dependent signals having frequency components in the range from about 0.1 to about 10 Hz, and (ii) generate respiration rate information of the subject based on time-dependent signals having frequency components in the range less than about 1 Hz.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pump and the second pump are the same pump.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pump is distinct from the second pump.

8. A system for monitoring heart and respiration rates of a human subject at rest, comprising, in operative condition:

a sensing unit adapted for use with a mattress, for cushioning at least an upper body portion of a subject lying on or resting against the mattress, the sensing unit including a motion sensor for generating electrical signals in response to motion by movement of the subject, the sensing unit including a fluid or gas-filled pad;

a first pump in fluid or gas communication with the fluid or gas filled pad for maintaining fluid or gas within the pad at a selected pressure or within a defined pressure range;

an ambient-null device comprising an ambient motion sensor for generating electrical signals in response to ambient motion in the vicinity of the subject, the ambient-null device including a fluid or gas-filled ambient pad and a second pump in fluid or gas communication with the fluid or gas-filled ambient pad for filling the fluid or gas-filled ambient pad; and

a monitoring unit operatively connected to the sensing unit and the ambient-null device, the monitoring unit configured to: (i) receive signals from the sensing unit and the ambient-null device, (ii) filter ambient motion indicated by the signals received by the ambient-null device from the signals received from the sensing unit, (iii) generate information about a condition of the subject using the signals received from the sensing unit that have been filtered to remove signals indicative of ambient motion, and (iv) generate an alert or initiate an action based on the information about the condition of the subject.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the motion sensor of the sensing unit and the ambient motion sensor of the ambient-null device are the same model of sensor.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first pump and the second pump are the same pump.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first pump is distinct from the second pump.

12. A method of determining heart and respiration rates of a subject, the method comprising:

receiving signals generated by a pressure sensor of a sensing unit for determining pressure fluctuations in a fluid or gas-filled pad of a mattress or chair support, the fluid or gas-filled pad being in fluid or gas communication with a first pump configured to maintain fluid or gas within the fluid or gas-filled pad at a selected pressure or within a defined pressure range;

receiving signals generated by an ambient pressure sensor of an ambient-null device, wherein the ambient pressure sensor generates electrical signals in response to ambient motion in the vicinity of the subject, the ambient-null device including a fluid or gas-filled ambient pad and a second pump in fluid or gas communication with the fluid or gas-filled ambient pad for filling the fluid or gas-filled ambient pad;

filtering ambient motion from pressure variations indicated by signals received from the pressure sensor of the sensing unit by subtracting the electrical signals generated by the ambient pressure sensor from the signals generated by the pressure sensor of the sensing unit;

generating information about the heart and respiration rates of the subject using the signals received from the pressure sensor of the sensing unit that have been filtered to remove the ambient motion; and

relaying such information to a monitoring station or individual.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first pump and the second pump are the same pump.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first pump is distinct from the second pump.