COMPUTATION OF PARAMETERS OF A BODY USING AN ELECTRIC FIELD
In some embodiments, an electric field generator generates an electric field at a nominal frequency. A detector measures, at multiple time points during a measuring period, one or more properties of the generated electric field. In various embodiments, the one or more properties of the electric field change over time due to interactions with a human body in a reactive near-field region of the electric field. From the measured one or more properties, a computation unit determines one or more periodic behaviors (such as a respiration or heartbeat) and one or more non-periodic behaviors (such as movement of a limb). The computation unit also computes, from at least one of the periodic and non-periodic behaviors, one or more physiological parameters of the human body. From the one or more physiological parameters, the computation unit detects one or more symptoms of a condition of the human body.
1 . A method comprising:
generating, with an electric field generator, an electric field at a nominal frequency;
measuring, at a succession of time points, a frequency of the generated electric field, the frequency of the generated electric field changing over time due to coupling of a body to the electric field generator;
determining a periodic behavior in the measured frequency indicative of a periodic movement of an internal organ of the body;
ascertaining that a portion of the measured frequency between a first time point of the succession of time points and a second time point of the succession of time points does not correspond to a physiological process of the internal organ;
blanking, in response to the ascertaining, the portion of the measured frequency producing a blanked portion of the measured frequency; and
computing a rate according to the periodic movement of the internal organ of the body, wherein the computing does not utilize the blanked portion of the measured frequency.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising radiating the electric field via an antenna; and
wherein, prior to the first time point and subsequent to the second time point, the body is within a reactive near-field region of the radiated electric field.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein, between the first time point and the second time point, the body is not within the reactive near-field region of the radiated electric field.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein, between the first time point and the second time point, the body is within the reactive near-field region of the radiated electric field but movement of the body perturbs the coupling of the body to the electric field generator.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the measured frequency that does not correspond to the physiological process of the internal organ corresponds to a movement of the body.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the movement of the body is a movement of a torso of the body due to the body rolling over.
7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising dynamically adjusting the nominal frequency in response to the movement of the body.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises determining respective periodic behaviors in the measured frequency indicative of respective periodic movements of two internal organs that comprise a heart and lungs;
wherein the ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the portion of the measured frequency does not correspond to respective physiological processes of the two internal organs; and
wherein the computing comprises computing respective rates according to the respective periodic movements of the two internal organs.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the respective rates comprise a resting heart rate and a resting respiration rate.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the body is on a bed; and
wherein the resting heart rate is a nighttime resting heart rate and the resting respiration rate is a nighttime resting respiration rate.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the periodic behavior is a quasiperiodic behavior.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically measuring an amplitude of the generated electric field; and
wherein the ascertaining is according to the measured amplitude during a period between the first time point and the second time point being greater than a threshold.
13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising periodically measuring an amplitude of the generated electric field; and
wherein the ascertaining is according to the measured amplitude during a period between the first time point and the second time point being less than a threshold.
14 . A system comprising:
an electric field generator configured to generate an electric field at a nominal frequency;
a detector configured to measure, at a succession of time points, a frequency of the generated electric field, the frequency of the generated electric field changing over time due to coupling of a body to the electric field generator; and
a computation unit configured to:
determine a periodic behavior in the measured frequency indicative of a periodic movement of an internal organ of the body;
ascertain that a portion of the measured frequency between a first time point of the succession of time points and a second time point of the succession of time points does not correspond to a physiological process of the internal organ;
blank, in response to the ascertaining, the portion of the measured frequency to produce a blanked portion of the measured frequency; and
compute a rate according to the periodic movement of the internal organ of the body, wherein the computing does not utilize the blanked portion of the measured frequency.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the system further comprises:
an antenna configured to radiate the electric field; and
wherein, prior to the first time point and subsequent to the second time point, the body is within a reactive near-field region of the radiated electric field.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein, between the first time point and the second time point, the body is not within the reactive near-field region of the radiated electric field.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein, between the first time point and the second time point, the body is within the reactive near-field region of the radiated electric field but movement of the body perturbs the coupling of the body to the electric field generator.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the measured frequency that does not correspond to the physiological process of the internal organ corresponds to a movement of the body.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the movement of the body is a movement of a torso of the body due to the body rolling over.
20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed by a processor perform steps of:
receiving measurements of a frequency of a generated electric field at a succession of time points, the frequency of the generated electric field changing over time due to coupling of a body to an electric field generator, wherein the electric field generator generates the generated electric field at a nominal frequency;
determining a periodic behavior in the measured frequency indicative of a periodic movement of an internal organ of the body;
ascertaining that a portion of the measured frequency between a first time point of the succession of time points and a second time point of the succession of time points does not correspond to a physiological process of the internal organ;
blanking, in response to the ascertaining, the portion of the measured frequency producing a blanked portion of the measured frequency; and
computing a rate according to the periodic movement of the internal organ of the body, wherein the computing does not utilize the blanked portion of the measured frequency.