# US 11,439,345 B2 · Method and apparatus for monitoring vital signs remotely > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,345 B2 - Document ID: US11439345B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/027,528 - Filed: 2018-07-05 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-22 - Assignees: Sleep Number Corporation - Applicants: Sleep Number Corporation - Inventors: Steven Jay Young; William McKinnon Gillon; Richard Vincent Rifredi; William Todd Krein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439345B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/4818: {Sleep apnoea} - A61B 5/0022: {Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet} - A61B 5/0077: {Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens} - A61B 5/0205: Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition - A61B 5/1102: {Ballistocardiography} - A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/6887: {mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices} - A61B 5/725: {using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters (specific diagnostics methods using using bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/316)} - A61B 5/746: {Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms} - A61B 7/003: {Detecting lung or respiration noise} - A61F 5/56: Devices for preventing snoring - G01L 19/0007: {Fluidic connecting means} - G01L 19/08: Means for indicating or recording, e.g. for remote indication - G16H 40/67: for remote operation - G16H 50/30: for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment - A61B 2503/04: Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection - A61B 2505/07: Home care - A61B 2562/0261: Strain gauges - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A method and apparatus for monitoring vital signs, such as cardiopulmonary activity, using a ballistograph are provided. The method and apparatus may be used to monitor an infant sleeping in a crib, a patient in a hospital, a person with a chronic disease at home or in professional care, or a person in an elder-care setting. ## Claims ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first pump and the second pump are the same pump. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first pump is distinct from the second pump. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the first pump and the second pump are the same pump. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the first pump is distinct from the second pump. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the first pump and the second pump are the same pump. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the first pump is distinct from the second pump.