Monitoring device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of wearable monitoring, and discloses a monitoring device. Wherein the monitoring device is of a patch structure, the monitoring device comprises a flexible patch, a sensor module and a wireless communication module, gel is arranged at the bottom of the flexible patch, and the gel is used for pasting and fixing the flexible patch to the body surface of a monitored target; the sensor module is arranged at the bottom of the flexible patch and is used for monitoring physical sign data of a monitored target; and the wireless communication module is arranged at the top of the flexible patch and is used for sending the physical sign data to a preset terminal. The monitoring device provided by the invention solves the problem that the monitoring device in the prior art limits the monitoring duration and the free activity space of the monitoring target, so that the biological sign data of the monitoring target can be continuously monitored in the environment in which the monitoring targets with different volumes automatically move.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiment of the present application relates to the technical field of wearable monitoring, in particular to a monitoring device. BACKGROUND

[0002] When an allergic or anaphylactic reaction occurs, it usually involves the immune system and related physiological and biochemical changes, including immune cell activation, cytokine release, histamine release, etc., and is accompanied by body temperature rise, blood oxygen saturation decrease caused by respiratory system obstruction, local tissue fluid pH and electrolyte concentration changes, etc. Generally speaking, the monitoring indicators of allergic reactions are usually detected by extracting blood or tissue fluid ex vivo, which is difficult to realize real-time continuous monitoring.

[0003] In the monitoring of target experiments or pet medical treatment, there is a lack of a system that can comprehensively monitor allergic reactions in the free activity state of the monitoring target. Existing wearable physiological monitoring devices are mostly used for general vital sign monitoring (such as thermometers, heart rate and oxygen saturation meters, activity monitors, etc.), but usually only focus on a single or a small number of vital signs, and most of them need to be powered by batteries and connected by data lines, which limits the monitoring time and the free activity space of the monitoring target. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of wearable monitoring device that can continuously collect and analyze multiple physiological and biochemical indicators related to allergic reactions in a small monitoring target free activity environment. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the embodiment of the present application is to at least provide a monitoring device to at least solve the above technical problems.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, at least one embodiment of the present application provides a monitoring device, which is a patch structure, and comprises: a flexible patch, a sensor module, and a wireless communication module, wherein the bottom of the flexible patch is provided with a gel, the gel is used to paste and fix the flexible patch to the surface of the monitoring target; the sensor module is arranged at the bottom of the flexible patch and is used to monitor the vital sign data of the monitoring target; and the wireless communication module is arranged at the top of the flexible patch and is used to send the vital sign data to a preset terminal.

[0006] Optionally, the patch substrate of the flexible patch is a polyimide film or a polyethylene terephthalate film.

[0007] Optionally, it further comprises a wireless charging module, which is used to provide energy for the monitoring device in a wireless charging manner.

[0008] Optionally, the sensor module comprises a body temperature sensor fixed to the bottom of the flexible patch, in contact with the skin of the monitoring target through the gel, for measuring the body temperature of the monitoring target; the gel is a heat-conducting gel.

[0009] Optionally, the sensor module comprises a blood oxygen pulse rate sensor fixed to the bottom of the flexible patch, in contact with the skin of the monitoring target, for measuring the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of the monitoring target.

[0010] Optionally, the sensor module comprises an acceleration sensor arranged on the circuit board of the flexible patch, for monitoring the motion state of the monitoring target.

[0011] Optionally, the sensor module further comprises a microneedle electrochemical sensor, for obtaining the interstitial fluid of the monitoring target and detecting interstitial fluid data of the interstitial fluid.

[0012] Optionally, the microneedle array in the microneedle electrochemical sensor comprises a first microneedle group, a second microneedle group and a third microneedle group, wherein the first microneedle group is a pH sensing electrode for measuring the pH value of the interstitial fluid; the second microneedle group comprises an electrolyte sensing electrode for measuring the potassium ion concentration in the interstitial fluid; and the third microneedle group comprises a histamine sensing electrode, the surface of which is fixed with a biological enzyme for detecting the histamine concentration.

[0013] Optionally, the material of the microneedle array comprises silicon or degradable polymer, wherein the needle head surface of the microneedle in the microneedle array has a biocompatible coating.

[0014] Optionally, the data processing module is further arranged on the flexible patch and connected with the sensor module and the communication module, for processing the data collected by the sensor module to obtain the vital sign data, and controlling the communication module to send the vital sign data to the preset terminal.

[0015] The monitoring device provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages over the prior art: the monitoring device is in the form of a patch structure, uses a flexible patch as a carrier, arranges a gel on the bottom of the flexible patch, and adheres and fixes the monitoring device to the body surface of a monitoring target through the gel; a sensor module is arranged on the bottom of the flexible patch to monitor the vital sign data of the monitoring target; the monitoring device in the embodiment can be adapted to monitoring targets of different sizes, and through a wireless communication module, the vital sign data can be continuously sent to a preset terminal, so that the vital sign data of the monitoring target can be continuously monitored in an environment where the monitoring target automatically moves. Attached Figure Description

[0016] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a monitoring device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the monitoring device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a microneedle electrochemical sensor provided according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the system workflow of a monitoring device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been presented in the various embodiments of the present invention to enable the reader to better understand the present invention. However, the technical solutions claimed in the present invention can be implemented even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments.

[0019] The implementation details of the monitoring device in this embodiment are described below. The following implementation details are provided for ease of understanding and are not necessary for implementing this solution.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention provide a monitoring device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the monitoring device 10 has a patch structure and includes: a flexible patch 100, a sensor module 110, and a wireless communication module 120. The monitoring device 10 has a patch structure, wherein... The flexible patch 100 has a gel (not shown in the figure) at its bottom, which is used to adhere and fix the flexible patch 100 to the surface of the monitoring target. The sensor module 110 is disposed at the bottom of the flexible patch 100 and is used to monitor the vital signs data of the target. The wireless communication module 120 is disposed on the top of the flexible patch 100 and is used to send vital sign data to a preset terminal.

[0021] In this embodiment, the flexible patch 100 is used to support the circuit board and other structures of the monitoring device, and achieves adhesion to the skin of the monitored target. In this embodiment, the circuit board of the monitoring device includes, but is not limited to, a flexible circuit board or a circuit board composed of multiple small-area circuit boards connected together.

[0022] In this embodiment, the gel is an adhesive or absorbent gel material that can adhere to or attach to the surface of the monitoring target. In specific application scenarios, if the monitoring target is a mouse or other fur-bearing animal, the target needs to be prepared before the gel can be fixed to the surface of the monitoring target.

[0023] The sensor module 110, disposed at the bottom of the flexible patch 100, can contact the surface of the monitored target through the gel. It includes, but is not limited to, photoelectric sensors and temperature sensors, and is used to collect vital sign data of the monitored target. In this embodiment, the vital sign data of the monitored target includes, but is not limited to, body temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen content.

[0024] In addition, the wireless communication module 120 includes, but is not limited to, modules such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC. The preset terminal in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, terminal devices such as mobile phones, PCs, and servers. The monitoring device and the preset terminal are connected via a wireless communication network.

[0025] like Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic of the application scenario of the monitoring device 10 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the monitoring device 10 is attached and fixed to the surface of the mouse to monitor the vital signs data of the mouse.

[0026] The monitoring device provided in this application, compared with the prior art, uses a flexible patch as a carrier, with gel placed at the bottom of the flexible patch. The patch is then adhered to the surface of the target body by the gel. A sensor module is placed at the bottom of the flexible patch to monitor the vital signs data of the target. The monitoring device in this embodiment can adapt to monitoring targets of different sizes, and through a wireless communication module, it can continuously transmit vital signs data to a preset terminal, so as to continuously monitor the biological vital signs data of the target in an environment where monitoring targets of different sizes are automatically active.

[0027] In some embodiments, the patch substrate of the flexible patch 100 is a polyimide (PI) film or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film with a thickness of about 50-100 micrometers, in order to balance flexibility and durability.

[0028] In some embodiments, the wireless charging module 130 is further included for providing energy to the monitoring device through wireless charging. In the present embodiment, the wireless charging module can be a magnetic resonance wireless charger or a wireless charger receiving infrared laser irradiation.

[0029] In one example, the wireless charging module is a magnetic resonance wireless charger. When the monitoring target carrying the monitoring device enters the charging range, the embedded wireless power coil receives high-frequency magnetic field energy, and after rectification and voltage stabilization, provides operating current to the monitoring device and charges the auxiliary energy storage capacitor (or small battery). In one example, the wireless power module has a frequency of 100-300 kHz, and can achieve energy transmission within a range of about 10-20 cm. This wireless power method does not require a large-capacity battery, reducing the weight of the monitoring device and avoiding frequent battery replacement operations.

[0030] In some embodiments, the sensor module includes a body temperature sensor fixed to the bottom of the flexible patch 100, which is in contact with the skin of the monitoring target through a gel, and is used to measure the body temperature of the monitoring target.

[0031] In one example, the body temperature sensor uses a negative temperature coefficient thermistor NTC, which is welded to the bottom of the circuit board of the flexible patch 100 and is in close contact with the skin of the monitoring target through a heat-conducting gel. The microcontroller of the monitoring device periodically collects the resistance value of the NTC through the built-in analog-to-digital converter ADC interface, and converts the resistance value to a temperature value according to a pre-set calibration curve, thereby achieving real-time body temperature monitoring of the monitoring target.

[0032] In the present embodiment, the gel is a heat-conducting gel. In one example, a medical-grade high-thermal-conductivity silicon gel is applied in the body temperature sensing area. The gel has high thermal conductivity and self-adhesion, and can establish stable thermal coupling with the skin of the monitoring target, thereby improving the temperature measurement accuracy of the NTC thermistor. The heat-conducting gel in the present embodiment also has air permeability, which can reduce the irritation to the skin of the monitoring target caused by wearing the monitoring device for a long time.

[0033] In some embodiments, the sensor module 110 includes a blood oxygen pulse rate sensor fixed to the bottom of the flexible patch 100, which is in contact with the skin of the monitoring target, and is used to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of the monitoring target.

[0034] In one example, the blood oxygen sensor is selected as an optical sensor (e.g., MAX30102) which integrates an infrared light source and a photodetector. When the optical sensor is attached to the skin of the monitoring target, it can measure the pulse waveform of the monitoring target and calculate the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate value through the absorption ratio. The optical sensor MAX30102 is connected to the microcontroller STM32 of the monitoring device through an I2C interface. The microcontroller processes the collected optical signals and calculates the heart rate algorithm to obtain the blood oxygen saturation and heart rate data. In this embodiment, the monitoring device should be firmly attached to the skin or auricle of the monitoring target when the monitoring device is used to ensure signal quality.

[0035] In some embodiments, the sensor module includes an acceleration sensor disposed on the circuit board of the flexible patch, which is used to detect the motion state of the monitoring target in real time.

[0036] In one example, the acceleration sensor is a BMA250E three-axis digital accelerometer disposed on the circuit board of the flexible patch 100, which is used to collect the motion state data of the monitoring target. The accelerometer can have a range of ±2g to ±16g, and the appropriate range can be selected according to actual needs. The processor module 150 of the monitoring device reads the acceleration values in X, Y, and Z directions output by the accelerometer through an I2C interface, and can further perform posture calculation or activity analysis of the monitoring target, such as determining whether the monitoring target is currently in a stationary, walking, or vigorous activity state by analyzing the acceleration amplitude and frequency spectrum.

[0037] In some embodiments, a microneedle electrochemical sensor is also included for obtaining interstitial fluid of the monitoring target and detecting interstitial fluid data of the interstitial fluid. In specific application scenarios, the microneedle electrochemical sensor uses biocompatible microneedle materials (such as carbon / gold coating in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix or a silicon microneedle array), with a needle length of about 300-800 microns, which is sufficient to penetrate the subcutaneous tissue to obtain interstitial fluid.

[0038] In one example, as shown in Figure 3 The microneedle electrochemical sensor includes an electrochemical analysis layer. The microneedle tip penetrates the biological tissue to collect interstitial fluid in the biological tissue, and the electrochemical analysis layer analyzes the interstitial fluid collected by the microneedle tip.

[0039] In some embodiments, the microneedle array in the microneedle electrochemical sensor includes a first microneedle group, a second microneedle group, and a third microneedle group. The first microneedle group is a pH sensing electrode for measuring the pH value of the interstitial fluid. The second microneedle group includes an electrolyte sensing electrode for measuring the potassium ion concentration in the interstitial fluid. The third microneedle group includes a histamine sensing electrode with a biological enzyme fixed on its surface for detecting the histamine concentration.

[0040] In the present example, the microneedle electrochemical sensor includes a microneedle array, different microneedles in the microneedle array are respectively used for detecting different indicators. The surface of the microneedles in the first microneedle group is coated with a conductive polypyrrole or iridium oxide film as a pH sensing electrode, which is sensitive to the pH value of the interstitial fluid; the surface of the microneedles in the second microneedle group is equipped with a potassium ion selective membrane as an electrolyte sensing electrode for measuring the potassium ion concentration in the interstitial fluid (or measuring sodium, potassium, etc. respectively using multiple channels); the surface of the microneedles in the third microneedle group is fixed with a biological enzyme as a histamine sensing electrode which catalyzes the oxidation of histamine and generates an electrical signal when it encounters histamine. The electrodes of each microneedle are connected to flexible wires on the flexible patch 100, and the current signal generated by the microneedle is converted into a voltage signal by an analog amplification circuit (such as a transimpedance amplifier or an operational amplifier) before being collected by the ADC of the STM32. In actual application scenarios, the sensor signal can be calibrated by temperature and ion compensation algorithms. Since the microneedles are directly immersed in the interstitial fluid, near-real-time chemical analysis is achieved, and local histamine concentration and changes in pH and electrolytes can be continuously monitored.

[0041] In some embodiments, the material of the microneedle array includes silicon or degradable polymers, wherein the needle surface of the microneedles in the microneedle array has a biocompatible coating. To avoid irritation when implanted in the skin for a long time. All skin contact components (such as heat-conducting gel, patch adhesive) are made of medical-grade materials to ensure safety and non-toxicity. The patch of the entire monitoring device has a certain flexibility and can adapt to the curvature of the animal body surface, while having waterproof and sweat-proof functions to cope with environmental influences during animal activity.

[0042] In some embodiments, a data processing module 130 is further included, wherein the data processing module 130 is arranged on the flexible patch 100, including but not limited to being arranged on the circuit board of the flexible patch 100, the data processing module 130 is connected with the sensor module 110 and the communication module 120 respectively, used for processing the data collected by the sensor module 110 to obtain the vital sign data, and controlling the communication module 120 to send the vital sign data to a preset terminal.

[0043] In one example, the power supply voltage of the STM32 (data processing module) is rectified by the wireless charging module to output a 3.3V or 5V stable power supply; the blood oxygen sensor MAX30102 and the acceleration sensor BMA250E, etc. are all running at 3.3V. The temperature sensor NTC is connected to the ADC through a voltage dividing circuit, and multiple interfaces of the ADC channel are reserved to measure the signals of multiple microneedle electrodes at the same time (or a multi-channel instrument amplifier is used). The WiFi module communicates with the STM32 through UART or SPI. The accelerometer has an interrupt output and can be used to detect the motion state and trigger a high-frequency sampling mode. The entire patch circuit board is designed as a multi-layer flexible PCB to reduce the volume and weight.

[0044] In one example, the data processing module 130 is an STM32 series 32-bit single-chip microcomputer with multi-channel ADC and multiple peripheral interfaces. As shown in the system workflow diagram Figure 4 STM32 is responsible for polling data collection of the above-mentioned body temperature sensor, blood oxygen pulse rate sensor, photoelectric sensor, and acceleration sensor: through ADC to collect the analog signals output by the NTC and microneedle sensor, and through I2C / SPI protocol to read the digital signals of MAX30102 and BMA250E. The collected raw data is filtered and corrected.

[0045] For example, low-pass filtering is performed on the pulse oximetry signal to remove noise, and temperature compensation is performed on the microneedle sensor signal. STM32 performs arterial oxygen saturation SpO2 calculation algorithm on the blood oxygen signal as needed, and motion analysis on the acceleration signal. The processed data is cached in a preset format, and is wirelessly uploaded to a preset terminal through a WiFi communication module (optionally an STM32 chip integrated with WiFi or an external ESP8266 / ESP32 module) matched therewith. The data packet also includes a timestamp and a device ID of the monitoring device, so as to distinguish and time sequence analyze multiple monitoring targets in the experimental container.

[0046] In one example, the wireless communication module 120 is a WiFi module. To save energy, the WiFi module can work in a low-power mode, and only when complete data is collected or the upload time period is reached, the WiFi is woken up and the data is sent to the preset terminal.

[0047] The following describes the specific application scenarios of the monitoring device 10 mentioned in the embodiment: The wearable patch corresponding to the monitoring device 10 is attached to the target part of the monitoring target, such as the skin on the back of the neck of a dog or cat (or using a micro-adhesive type patch on the back of a laboratory mouse). Ensure that the heat-conducting gel is attached to the skin, MAX30102 is attached to the blood vessel-rich area, and the microneedles in the microneedle electrochemical sensing module are inserted into the epidermis at an appropriate depth. After starting the system, STM32 initializes each sensor and starts collecting data.

[0048] In one example, the system can be set to sample at a fixed time: body temperature and blood oxygen can be sampled once per second, acceleration is continuously sampled (for example, 100 Hz), and microneedle sensor can be sampled once per second or several seconds. All sensing signals are transmitted to STM32 in real time for digitization and processing. After filtering, the data is wirelessly sent to the preset terminal for display and storage.

[0049] In this embodiment, the content displayed in the preset terminal includes, but is not limited to, a body temperature curve, blood oxygen and pulse value, a motion state indication, historical pH, ion concentration and histamine level change. If the histamine level is monitored to sharply rise or other parameters exceed a preset threshold, the system of the preset terminal can be linked to issue an alarm (such as an external terminal prompt). It should be understood that the terms "mechanism", "device", "component", and the like used in the present application are only a method for distinguishing different components, elements, parts, portions or assemblies of different levels. However, if other words can achieve the same purpose, the words can be replaced by other expressions.

[0050] Those skilled in the art can understand that the above-mentioned embodiments are specific embodiments for implementing the present application, and in actual application, each technical feature of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description simple, each technical feature in the above-mentioned embodiments is not described all possible combinations, however, as long as the combination of these technical features does not exist contradictory, it should be considered as the scope of the present application, and various changes can be made in form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A monitoring device, characterized in that The monitoring device is in a patch structure, and the monitoring device comprises a flexible patch, a sensor module, and a wireless communication module, wherein The bottom of the flexible patch is provided with a gel, which is used for pasting and fixing the flexible patch to the surface of a monitoring target; The sensor module is arranged at the bottom of the flexible patch and is used for monitoring the vital sign data of the monitoring target; The wireless communication module is arranged at the top of the flexible patch and is used for sending the vital sign data to a preset terminal.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, The patch substrate of the flexible patch is a polyimide film or a polyethylene terephthalate film.

3. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, A wireless charging module is further included, which is used for providing energy for the monitoring device in a wireless charging manner.

4. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor module comprises a body temperature sensor fixed at the bottom of the flexible patch, which is in contact with the skin of the monitoring target through the gel and is used for measuring the body temperature of the monitoring target. The gel is a heat-conducting gel.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor module comprises a blood oxygen and pulse rate sensor fixed at the bottom of the flexible patch and adhered to the skin of the monitoring target, which is used for measuring the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate value of the monitoring target.

6. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor module further comprises an acceleration sensor arranged on a circuit board of the flexible patch, which is used for monitoring the motion state of the monitoring target.

7. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor module further comprises a microneedle electrochemical sensor, which is used for obtaining interstitial fluid of the monitoring target and detecting interstitial fluid data of the interstitial fluid.

8. The monitoring device of claim 7, wherein, The microneedle array in the microneedle electrochemical sensor comprises a first microneedle group, a second microneedle group, and a third microneedle group, wherein The first microneedle group is a pH sensing electrode, which is used for measuring the pH value of the interstitial fluid; The second microneedle group comprises an electrolyte sensing electrode, which is used for measuring the potassium ion concentration in the interstitial fluid; The third microneedle group comprises a histamine sensing electrode, the surface of which is fixed with a biological enzyme, which is used for detecting the histamine concentration.

9. The monitoring device of claim 8, wherein, The material of the microneedle array comprises silicon or degradable polymer, wherein the needle head surface of the microneedle in the microneedle array has a biocompatible coating.

10. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, A data processing module is further included, wherein The data processing module is arranged on the flexible patch and is connected with the sensor module and the communication module respectively, which is used for processing the data collected by the sensor module to obtain the vital sign data and controlling the communication module to send the vital sign data to the preset terminal.

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