Southwest Research Institute

Larry D Canady

Kevin S Honeyager

Jerome A Helffrich

Stephen Anthony Cerwin

Armando De Los Santos

Terrie L McDaniel

David A Tong

Christopher B Catterson

Susan W Zogbi

A system that remotely measures displacement between two objects. A passive sensor is affixed between the objects. The internal sensor uses magnetic coupling between two sensor elements to measure their relative displacement. The sensors are either a) a permeable rod and a complimentary coil in parallel with a tuning capacitor; or b) two permeable rods, each having its own surrounding coil and a tuning capacitor. One of the sensor elements is affixed to each object which is to be monitored. When an interrogating device is placed near the sensors, a resonance can be measured whose frequency characteristics change in a reproducible manner with the relative displacement of the sensors. The resulting resonance characteristics can be calibrated in such a way as to enable the displacement of the objects to be determined.

Passive and wireless displacement measuring device

A method and system for physiological monitoring using a microprocessor-enhanced magnetic field sensor to measure the mechanical effects of body motion is described. The measurements may be used for a variety of applications, such as detection of respiration, cardiac rhythms, and blood pressure. The source or detector may be made sufficiently small so as to be implantable. The system is sufficiently sensitive to provide output data for very small movements.

Motion detection for physiological applications

A hand-held monitor (10) for monitoring environmental or physiological conditions affecting the user. The monitor (10) has a main housing (10a) and a sensor module (10b). The sensor module (10b) has a plurality of sensors (33-36) extending from it. The sensor module (10b) is generally cylindrical in shape and rests in a curved cradle (14c) of the main housing (10a). This permits the sensor module (10b) to rotate between a position in which the sensors are deployed and extend outwardly from the main housing (10a), and a position in which the sensors rest in the main housing (10a). The main housing (10a) contains processor-based electronics circuitry (50) for processing the data acquired by the sensors. The sensor module (10b) contains sensor electronics circuitry (60), including all circuitry unique to the sensors, and is easily detachable from the main housing (10a). This permits sensor modules having the same or different sensors to be easily interchanged.

Hand-held environmental monitor

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San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Larry D Canady