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Title: Body monitoring and imaging apparatus and method

Abstract

A non-acoustic pulse-echo radar monitor is employed in the repetitive mode, whereby a large number of reflected pulses are averaged to produce a voltage that modulates an audio oscillator to produce a tone that corresponds to the heart motion. The antenna used in this monitor generally comprises two flat copper foils, thus permitting the antenna to be housed in a substantially flat housing. The monitor converts the detected voltage to an audible signal with both amplitude modulation and Doppler effect. It further uses a dual time constant to reduce the effect of gross sensor-to-surface movement. The monitor detects the movement of one or more internal body parts, such as the heart, lungs, arteries, and vocal chords, and includes a pulse generator for simultaneously inputting a sequence of pulses to a transmit path and a grating path. The pulses transmitted along the transmit path drive Oh impulse, generator and provide corresponding transmit pulses that are applied to a transmit antenna. The gating path includes a range delay generator which generates timed gating pulses. The timed gating pulses cause the receive path to selectively conduct pulses reflected from the body parts and received by a receive antenna. The monitor output potential canmore » be separated into a cardiac output indicative of the physical movement of the heart, and a pulmonary output indicative of the physical movement of the lung. The impulse generator in the transmit path can be replaced with a pulsed RF generator. 13 figs.

Inventors:
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of California (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
672570
Patent Number(s):
5766208
Application Number:
PAN: 8-747,131
Assignee:
Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 16 Jun 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; HEART; LUNGS; MONITORS; MEDICAL SUPPLIES; CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES; IMAGE PROCESSING

Citation Formats

McEwan, T E. Body monitoring and imaging apparatus and method. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
McEwan, T E. Body monitoring and imaging apparatus and method. United States.
McEwan, T E. Tue . "Body monitoring and imaging apparatus and method". United States.
@article{osti_672570,
title = {Body monitoring and imaging apparatus and method},
author = {McEwan, T E},
abstractNote = {A non-acoustic pulse-echo radar monitor is employed in the repetitive mode, whereby a large number of reflected pulses are averaged to produce a voltage that modulates an audio oscillator to produce a tone that corresponds to the heart motion. The antenna used in this monitor generally comprises two flat copper foils, thus permitting the antenna to be housed in a substantially flat housing. The monitor converts the detected voltage to an audible signal with both amplitude modulation and Doppler effect. It further uses a dual time constant to reduce the effect of gross sensor-to-surface movement. The monitor detects the movement of one or more internal body parts, such as the heart, lungs, arteries, and vocal chords, and includes a pulse generator for simultaneously inputting a sequence of pulses to a transmit path and a grating path. The pulses transmitted along the transmit path drive Oh impulse, generator and provide corresponding transmit pulses that are applied to a transmit antenna. The gating path includes a range delay generator which generates timed gating pulses. The timed gating pulses cause the receive path to selectively conduct pulses reflected from the body parts and received by a receive antenna. The monitor output potential can be separated into a cardiac output indicative of the physical movement of the heart, and a pulmonary output indicative of the physical movement of the lung. The impulse generator in the transmit path can be replaced with a pulsed RF generator. 13 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1998},
month = {6}
}

Patent:
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