Personal computer card for collection of real-time biological data

A portable biological data collection comprising:

• a conductor for collecting biological data from a patient;
• an amplifier for amplifying the biological data from the conductor to produce an amplified signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the amplified signal to produce a digitized signal;
• a personal computer card interface for relaying the digitized signal to a host computer on a real-time basis as the biological data is collected by the conductor, and for supplying electrical power from the host computer to the amplifier and the analog-to-digital converter;
• and
• electrical isolation circuitry disposed between the conductor and the amplifier for electrically isolating a patient from the electrical power.

A portable biological data collection comprising:

• a pressure sensor for receiving a pressure signal from a patient and converting the pressure signal into an electrical signal;
• an amplifier for and amplifying the electrical signal from the pressure sensor to produce an amplified signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the amplified signal to produce a digitized signal;
• and
• a personal computer card interface for relaying the digitized signal to a host computer on a real-time basis as the pressure signal is collected by the pressure sensor, and for supplying electrical power from the host computer to the amplifier and the analog-to-digital converter.

A portable biological data collection device comprising:

• a biological data receiver for receiving biological data from a biological data sensor and producing a biological data signal;
• an amplifier for amplifying the biological data signal from the biological data receiver to produce an amplified signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the amplified signal to produce a digitized signal;
• and
• a personal computer card interface connectable to an external port of a host computer for relaying the digitized signal to the host computer on a real-time basis as the biological data is received by the biological data receiver, and for supplying electrical power from the host computer to the amplifier and the analog-to-digital converter.

A biological data collection system comprising:

• a host computer comprising an external computer card port;
• a portable biological data collection device comprising:
• a personal computer card housing;
• a biological data receiver disposed within the personal computer card housing for receiving biological data from a biological data sensor and producing a biological data signal;
• an amplifier disposed within the personal computer card housing for amplifying the biological data signal from the biological data receiver to produce an amplified signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter disposed within the personal computer card housing for digitizing the amplified signal to produce a digitized signal;
• and
• a personal computer card interface disposed within the personal computer card housing and connectable to the external computer card port of a host computer to supply electrical power from the host computer to the amplifier and the analog-to-digital converter;
• and
• software installed in the host computer for allowing the personal computer card interface to relay the digitized signal to the host computer on a real-time basis as the biological data is received by the biological data receiver.

A method for converting a host computer into a biological data collection system comprising:

• connecting a personal computer card interface of a portable biological data collection device with an external personal computer card port of the host computer;
• relaying designation data from the personal computer card interface to the host computer for allowing the host computer to identify a type of biological data to be collected;
• receiving biological data of a patient to a biological data receiver of the portable biological data collection device for producing a biological data signal, wherein the biological data corresponds to the type of biological data identified by the host computer;
• amplifying the biological data signal with an amplifier of the portable biological data collection device for producing an amplified signal, wherein the amplifier receives power from the host computer through the personal computer card interface;
• digitizing the amplified signal with the analog-to-digital converter of the portable biological data collection device for producing a digitized signal, wherein the analog-to-digital converter receives power from the host computer through the personal computer card interface;
• and
• relaying the digitized signal from the personal computer card interface to the host computer on a real-time basis as the biological data is received by the biological data receiver.

A method for converting a host computer into a biological data collection system comprising:

• inserting a biological data processing personal computer card into an external computer card port of the host computer;
• relaying power from the host computer to the biological data processing personal computer card through the external computer card port of the host computer;
• directing the host computer to identify the type of biological data processing personal computer card inserted into the external computer card port;
• directing the host computer to collect biological data from the biological data processing personal computer card on a real-time basis as the biological data is received and processed by the biological data processing personal computer card, wherein the receiving and processing by the biological data processing personal computer card comprises:
• receiving the biological data from a patient to a biological data receiver of the biological data processing personal computer card, wherein the biological data corresponds to the type of biological data identified by the host computer;
• amplifying the biological data with an amplifier of the biological data processing personal computer card;
• digitizing the amplified biological data with the analog-to-digital converter of the biological data processing personal computer card;
• and
• relaying the amplified, digitized biological data to a personal computer card interface of the biological data processing personal computer card;
• and
• displaying the biological data as it is collected from the biological data processing personal computer card on the host computer.

A portable biological data collection device comprising:

• a biological data receiver housing;
• a personal computer card interface housing adapted to mate with an external personal computer card port of a host computer;
• a biological data receiver disposed within the biological data receiver housing for receiving biological data from a biological data sensor and producing a biological data signal;
• an amplifier disposed within the biological data receiver housing for amplifying the biological data signal from the biological data receiver to produce an amplified signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter disposed within the personal computer card interface housing for digitizing the amplified signal to produce a digitized signal;
• and
• a personal computer card interface disposed within the personal computer card interface housing for relaying the digitized signal to the host computer on a real-time basis as the biological data is received by the biological data receiver, and supplying electrical power from the host computer to the amplifier and the analog-to-digital converter.

A portable ECG data collection device comprising:

• a plurality of ECG leads adapted to receive ECG data from a patient for producing ECG signals;
• electrical isolation circuitry for receiving the ECG signals and producing isolated ECG signals;
• an amplifier for amplifying the isolated ECG signals to produce amplified ECG signals;
• a filter for filtering the amplified ECG signals to produce filtered ECG signals:
• an analog-to-digital converter for and digitizing the filtered ECG signals to produce digitized ECG signals;
• an analog-to-digital timing circuit for providing a sampling timing signal to the analog-to-digital converter;
• a storage buffer for storing the digitized ECG signals;
• and
• a personal computer card interface for relaying the digitized ECG signal from the storage buffer to a host computer on a real-time basis as the ECG data is received by the plurality of ECG leads, and supplying electrical power from the host computer to the electrical isolation circuitry, the amplifier, the filter, the analog-to-digital converter, the analog-to-digital timing circuit, and the storage buffer.