Methods and apparatus for ambulatory and non-ambulatory monitoring of physiological data using digital flash storage

Claim 1

A battery operated ambulatory monitor for recording patient physiological data comprising: a plurality of sensors for attachment to an ambulatory patient for providing analog signals to a plurality of input channels, said analog signals representing different physiological parameters including ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG, respiratory activities, respiratory mechanics, and blood oxygen saturation; A-D converter means for converting said analog sensor signals to digital data; processor means coupled to said A-D converter means for taking appropriate measurements from said digital data related to said physiological parameters; digital storage means coupled to said processor means for storing both said physiological digital data and said appropriate measurements, said storage means comprising a non-volatile flash memory; controller means coupled between said processor means and said flash memory for causing said digital data measurements and said physiological digital data to be transferred between said processor means and said flash memory in data blocks; said controller means causing said processor means to be powered down between data block transfers to conserve power; and variable selection means in said processor means for selecting one or more of said channels providing said physiological parameters received from said sensors for processing and recording.

Claim 14

A method of recording patient physiological data with an ambulatory monitor comprising the steps of: attaching a plurality of sensors to an ambulatory patient for providing analog signals to a plurality of input channels, said analog signals representing different physiological parameters including ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG, respiratory activities, respiratory mechanics, and blood oxygen saturation; converting said analog sensor signals to digital data with A-D converter means; coupling processor means to said A-D converter means for taking appropriate measurements from said digital data related to said physiological parameters; coupling digital storage means to said processor means for storing both said physiological digital data and said appropriate measurements, said storage means comprising a non-volatile flash memory; coupling controller means between said processor means and said flash memory for causing said digital data measurements and said physiological digital data to be transferred to said flash memory in data blocks; causing said power means to be powered down between data block transfers to conserve power; and selecting one or more of said channels providing said physiological parameters received from said sensors for processing and recording.

Claim 15

A method of recording patient physiological data with an ambulatory monitor comprising the steps of: attaching a plurality of sensors to an ambulatory patient for providing analog signals to a plurality of input channels, said analog signals representing different physiological parameters including ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG, respiratory activities, respiratory mechanics, and blood oxygen saturation; converting said analog sensor signals to digital data with A-D converter means; coupling processor means to said A-D converter means for taking appropriate measurements from said digital data related to said physiological parameters; coupling digital storage means to said processor means for storing both said physiological digital data and said appropriate measurements, said storage means comprising a non-volatile flash memory; coupling controller means between said processor means and said flash memory for causing said digital data measurements and said physiological digital data to be transferred to said flash memory in data blocks; causing said power means to be powered down between data block transfers to conserve power; and selecting one or more of said channels providing said physiological parameters received from said sensors for processing and recording.

Claim 20

A method for recording patient physiological data with an ambulatory device to be used for subsequent medical diagnosis, said method comprising the steps of: receiving raw analog data signals from a plurality of input channels representing different ones of said patient physiological data including ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG, respiratory activities, respiratory mechanics, and blood oxygen saturation; converting the raw analog data signals in each channel to raw digital data with A-D converter means by sampling said raw analog data on each separate one of said channels at an individually selectable rate; taking appropriate measurements of said raw digital data for storage with processor means coupled to said A-D converter; coupling a non-volatile digital flash memory to said processor for storing both said raw digital data and said appropriate measurement data; coupling a flash controller between said processor means and said flash memory for transfer to storage of both said raw data and said appropriate measurement data in said memory in blocks; powering down said processor means between data block transfers to conserve power; and selecting one or more channels of said physiological data for processing and recording with means in said processor means.

Claim 21

A method for recording patient physiological data with an ambulatory device to be used for subsequent medical diagnosis, said method comprising the steps of: receiving raw analog data signals from a plurality of input channels representing different ones of said patient physiological data including ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG, respiratory activities, respiratory mechanics, and blood oxygen saturation; converting the raw analog data signals in each channel to raw digital data with A-D converter means by sampling said raw analog data on each separate one of said channels at an individually selectable rate; taking appropriate measurements of said raw digital data for storage with processor means coupled to said A-D converter; coupling a non-volatile digital flash memory to said processor for storing both said raw digital data and said appropriate measurement data; coupling a flash controller between said processor means and said flash memory for transfer to storage of both said raw data and said appropriate measurement data in said memory in blocks; powering down said processor means between data block transfers to conserve power; and selecting one or more channels of said physiological data for processing and recording with means in said processor means.