Physiological condition monitors utilizing very low frequency acoustic signals

An apparatus for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals and signals indicative of body orientation comprising:

• an apparatus capable of detecting very low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz comprising:
• a chamber capable of being acoustically coupled to a source of acoustic signals, said chamber having portions that define a cavity within said chamber, and said chamber having nonrigid walls capable of moving inwardly and outwardly with respect to the interior of said cavity in response to the presence of low frequency acoustic energy;
• a microphone placed within said cavity of said chamber capable of receiving low frequency acoustic signals within said cavity of said chamber that are caused by the inward and outward motion of said nonrigid walls of said cavity, and capable of generating electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals;
• and
• an apparatus capable of evaluating movement of a body relative to an environment of the type comprising:
• a sensor, associable with said body, that senses accelerative phenomena of said body;
• and
• a processor, associated with said sensor, that processes said sensed accelerative phenomena as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.

A physiological condition monitor for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals of a person and signals indicative of a person's body orientation comprising:

• a sensor capable of being acoustically coupled to the body of the person being monitored and capable of receiving low frequency acoustic signals in the range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz and capable of generating electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals;
• and
• a low bandpass filter coupled to said sensor capable of processing said electronic signals from said sensor to obtain digitally encoded electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to two Hertz, said digitally encoded electronic signals being indicative of respiration activity of the person being monitored;
• and
• an apparatus capable of evaluating movement of a person's body relative to an environment of the type comprising:
• a sensor, associable with said body, that senses accelerative phenomena of said body;
• and
• a processor, associated with said sensor, that processes said sensed accelerative phenomena as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.

An apparatus for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals from a person and signals indicative of a person's body orientation without being directly coupled to the skin of the person, said apparatus comprising:

• a chamber having portions that define a cavity within said chamber, said chamber capable of being acoustically coupled to low frequency acoustic signals of the person;
• a microphone placed within said cavity of said chamber, said microphone capable of receiving low frequency acoustic signals in the frequency range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz and generating electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals received by said microphone;
• and
• a membrane attached to said chamber covering said cavity of said chamber, said membrane capable of moving in response to very low frequency acoustic signals incident upon said membrane to cause said very low frequency acoustic signals to be transmitted through said cavity to said microphone, said membrane capable of being acoustically coupled to said low frequency acoustic signals of the person without directly contacting the skin of the person;
• and
• an apparatus capable of evaluating movement of a person's body relative to an environment of the type comprising:
• a sensor, associable with said body but not directly in contact with the skin of the body of said person, that senses accelerative phenomena of said body;
• and
• a processor, associated with said sensor, that processes said sensed accelerative phenomena as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.

A method for detecting very low frequency acoustic signals and signals indicative of body orientation comprising the steps of:

• acoustically coupling a low frequency sensor to a source of low frequency acoustic signals;
• receiving in said low frequency sensor acoustic signals in the range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz;
• generating in said low frequency sensor electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals;
• and
• processing repeatedly sensed accelerative phenomena of a body as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.

A method for detecting low frequency acoustic signals and signals indicative of body orientation comprising the steps of:

• forming a chamber having portions that define a cavity within said chamber;
• placing a microphone within said cavity of said chamber;
• acoustically coupling said chamber to a source of low frequency acoustic signals;
• receiving in said microphone acoustic signals in the range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz;
• generating in said microphone electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals;
• and
• processing repeatedly sensed accelerative phenomena of a body as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.

A method for detecting low frequency acoustic signals and signals indicative of body orientation comprising the steps of:

• forming a chamber having portions that define a cavity within said chamber;
• placing a microphone within said cavity of said chamber;
• attaching a membrane to said chamber wherein said membrane covers said cavity of said chamber and wherein said membrane is capable of moving in response to very low frequency acoustic signals incident on said membrane;
• acoustically coupling said membrane to a source of low frequency acoustic signals;
• receiving in said microphone acoustic signals in the range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz within said cavity of said chamber that are caused by the movements of said membrane;
• generating in said microphone electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals;
• and
• processing repeatedly sensed accelerative phenomena of a body as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.

A method for detecting low frequency acoustic signals and signals indicative of body orientation comprising the steps of:

• forming a chamber having portions that define a cavity within said chamber;
• placing a microphone within said cavity of said chamber;
• attaching a membrane to said chamber covering said cavity of said chamber;
• acoustically coupling said membrane to a source of acoustic signals;
• receiving in said microphone low frequency acoustic signals in the range of one tenth Hertz to thirty Hertz;
• generating in said microphone electronic signals indicative of the intensity of said low frequency acoustic signals;
• and
• processing repeatedly sensed accelerative phenomena of a body as a function of at least one accelerative event characteristic to thereby determine whether said evaluated body movement is within environmental tolerance.