Fiber optic interferometric vital sign monitor for use in magnetic resonance imaging, confined care facilities and in-hospital

A method of detecting vital signs of a patient, comprising:

• providing optical fiber proximate to a patient comprising a first optical path and a second optical path;
• coupling optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path;
• coupling acousto-mechanical signals indicative of vital signs generated by said patient into said optical fiber to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• creating interference of optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• detecting time variations of said interference and providing a time-varying electrical signal responsive thereto;
• and
• signal processing said time-varying electrical signal to provide one or more output signals indicative of said vital signs.

A fiber optic monitor for detecting vital signs in a patient comprising:

• optical fiber comprising a first optical path and a second optical path, said optical fiber being adapted to be situated proximate to a patient so that acousto-mechanical signals generated by said patient are coupled into said optical fiber effective to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• optrodes for affixing at least a portion of said optical fiber to the patient;
• an optical source coupled to supply optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path;
• an optical system for creating optical interference from the optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• a photo-detector arranged to sense an optical signal provided by time variations in said interference, said photo-detector providing a raw electrical signal responsive thereto;
• a signal processor coupled to said photo-detector to process said raw electrical signal to provide one or more processed output signals indicative of vital signs of the patient;
• and
• an output system that communicates said one or more output signals.

A method of detecting vital signs of patient in a confined care facility in which the patient is confined to a bed or room during treatment or monitoring, comprising:

• providing optical fiber proximate to the patient comprising a first optical path and a second optical path;
• coupling optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path,
• coupling acousto-mechanical signals indicative of vital signs generated by said patient into said optical fiber to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• creating interference of optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• detecting time variations of said interference and providing a time-varying electrical signal responsive thereto;
• signal processing said time-varying electrical signal to provide one or more output signals indicative of said vital signs;
• and
• communicating said output signals in a manner selected from the group consisting of:
• 1) as a local numerical or graphical readout near the patient, 2) over at least one of fiber optic lines, phone lines, power lines, local area network lines, and TV cable lines to a central monitoring station to produce a numerical or graphical readout, and the combination of 1) and 2).

A fiber optic monitor for detecting vital signs in a patient, comprising:

• optical fiber comprising a first optical path and a second optical path, said optical fiber being adapted to be situated proximate to a patient so that acousto-mechanical signals generated by said patient are coupled into said optical fiber effective to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• a casing containing at least a portion of said optical fiber and being adapted to be affixed to the patient, said casing being one of a cuff and a patch;
• an optical source coupled to supply optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path;
• an optical system for creating interference from the optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• a photo-detector arranged to sense an optical signal provided by time variations in said interference, said photo-detector providing a raw electrical signal responsive thereto;
• a signal processor coupled to said photo-detector to process said raw electrical signal to provide one or more processed output signals indicative of vital signs of the patient;
• and
• an output system that communicates said one or more output signals.

A fiber optic monitor for detecting vital signs in a patient, comprising:

• optical fiber comprising a first optical path and a second optical path, said optical fiber being adapted to be situated proximate to a patient so that acousto-mechanical signals generated by said patient are coupled into said optical fiber effective to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• an optical source coupled to supply optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path;
• an optical system for creating interference from the optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• a photo-detector arranged to sense an optical signal provided by time variations in said interference, said photo-detector providing a raw electrical signal responsive thereto;
• a signal processor coupled to said photo-detector to process said raw electrical signal to provide one or more processed output signals indicative of vital signs of the patient;
• and
• an output system that communicates said one or more output signals.

A method of detecting vital functions of a patient, comprising:

• providing optical fiber comprising a first optical path and a second optical path, said optical fiber being proximate to a patient located in an area selected from the group consisting of an operating room, a recovery room, an intensive care unit, a magnetic resonance imaging laboratory, a computerized tomography scan laboratory, an elderly care facility and combinations thereof;
• coupling optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path;
• coupling acousto-mechanical signals indicative of vital signs generated by said patient into said optical fiber to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• creating interference of optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• detecting time variations of said interference and providing a time-varying electrical signal responsive thereto;
• and
• signal processing said time-varying electrical signal to provide one or more output signals indicative of said vital signs.

A method of detecting blood pressure of a patient, comprising:

• providing optical fiber comprising a first optical path and a second optical path, said optical fiber being contained by a cuff;
• wrapping said cuff around a body part of the patient;
• applying pressure to said cuff effective to cause said optical fiber to contact the body part;
• coupling optical radiation into an input of said first optical path and an input of said second optical path;
• coupling acousto-mechanical signals indicative of blood pressure generated by said patient into said optical fiber to modulate a physical parameter of said optical fiber responsive to said acousto-mechanical signals;
• creating interference of optical radiation emitted from an output of said first optical path and an output of said second optical path;
• detecting time variations of said interference and providing a time-varying electrical signal responsive thereto;
• and
• signal processing said time-varying electrical signal to provide one or more output signals indicative of said blood pressure.