EP2986201A1

EP2986201A1 - Device and method for acquiring biological information by means of an intracorporeal current

Info

Publication number: EP2986201A1
Application number: EP14720182.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bruno Charrat; Georges Gagnerot
Original assignee: Inside Secure SA
Current assignee: Verimatrix France SAS
Priority date: 2013-04-15
Filing date: 2014-03-28
Publication date: 2016-02-24
Also published as: FR3004563A1; CN105307560A; WO2014170573A1; CN105307560B; US20160073883A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a receiver device (D6) with an intracorporeal current (Id), comprising means (IE2, 0E2) for collecting, by means of capacitive coupling, an alternating signal based on a current that has crossed all or part of the body of a subject, means (40, 100) for extracting data from the collected alternating signal, and means (40, 100) for extracting, from the alternating signal, a biological signal (BS) generated by the body of the subject and modulating the amplitude of the alternating signal.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ACQUIRING BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION USING A

INTRACORPORAL CURRENT

The present invention relates to a method and a device for acquiring a biological signal. The present invention also relates to IBAN ("Intra Body Area Network") data transmission techniques of the type described in European patent EP 0 824 799 and in the document "Personal Area Networks (PAN) - Near-Field Intra-Body Communication" , by Thomas Guthrie Zimmerman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, September 1995.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates an IBAN system comprising a transmitter D1, a receiver D2, and the body HB of a subject as a transmission medium. The transmitter D1 comprises an external electrode OE1, or an environment electrode, an internal electrode IE1, or body electrode, and a voltage generator SG connected to the two electrodes. The receiver D2 also comprises an external electrode OE2 and an internal electrode IE2.

The generator SG of the transmitter D1 creates an oscillating potential VI between the electrodes 0E1, IE1. An electric field EF is formed between the internal electrode IE1 and the body HB of the subject, and between the external electrode 0E1 and the environment. The body HB is considered as a large capacitor plate that can be charged and discharged by the transmitter D1. The environment is schematized by the ground, and has a reference potential considered to form the GND mass of the IBAN system. The electrical charge applied to the body of the subject gives it a potential different from that of the environment, resulting in the appearance of an electric field EF between the body and the environment and between the body and the receiver D2. A voltage V2 appears on the electrode IE2 of the receiver D2. A reception circuit RCT measures the voltage V2 relative to the potential of the external electrode 0E2. FIG. 2 is a representation of the IBAN network of FIG. 1 in the form of a capacitive and resistive electrical network. A capacitor C1 represents the capacitive coupling between the internal electrode IE1 of the device D1 and a zone of the body closest to this electrode, represented schematically by a point PHI. A capacitor C2 represents the capacitive coupling between the internal electrode IE2 of the device D2 and a zone of the body closest to this electrode, schematized by a point P2. A capacitor C3 represents the capacitive coupling between the external electrode OE1 of the device D1 and the environment. A capacitor C4 represents the capacitive coupling between the external electrode OE2 of the device D2 and the environment. A capacitor C5 represents the capacitive coupling between the electrodes 0E1 and IE1. A capacitor C6 represents the capacitive coupling between the electrodes 0E2 and IE2, and a capacitor C7 represents the capacitive coupling between the feet and the environment. Other coupling capabilities in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology model are not represented here for the sake of simplicity.

The body is also considered as a purely resistive node schematized by resistors RI, R2, R3, R4, R5. The resistors R1 and R2 are in series and pass through a fictitious midpoint P3. They illustrate the total electrical resistance of the body between points PI and P2. Assuming, for example, that the user capacitively couples the devices D1 and D2 by means of his right and left hands, the resistance R1 is the resistance of the right arm and the right shoulder, and the resistance R2 is the resistance of the left shoulder and left arm, the midpoint P3 lying between the two shoulders. The resistance R3 connects the point P3 to a fictitious point P4 near the basin and represents the resistance of the thorax. The resistors R4 and R5 are in parallel each connect the point P4 to a hypothetical point P5 coupled to the environment by the capacitor C7, and represent the series resistances of the left and right legs.

When the voltage VI is applied to the electrodes IE1, 0E1, a current is emitted by the voltage generator SG. A first Fraction 1a of this stream passes through the capacitor C5 to reach the outer electrode OE1, and a second fraction Ib of this stream is injected into the body through the capacitor C1, to form an intracorporeal current. A fraction of the current Ib passes through the resistor RI, the resistor R3 of the thorax and the resistors R4, R5 of the legs, then the capacitor C1, to then reach the external electrode 0E1 of the device D1 via the environment and the capacitance C3, the environment being represented by dashed lines. Another fraction Id of the current Ib passes through the resistors R1, R2 and the capacitor C1 to reach the internal electrode IE2 of the device D2, then passes through the device D2 and joins the external electrode OE1 of the device D1, passing through the environment and the capacitance C3, as also represented by dashed lines. The resistors R3 + R4 or R3 + R5 can be much greater than the resistor R2, and the current is much lower than the current Id. The intracorporeal current Id generates the voltage V2 across the electrodes IE2, OE2, and this is measured by the reception circuit RC. To transfer data from the device D1 to the device D2, the amplitude of the voltage V1 is modulated by a data carrier signal. The amplitude modulation is found in the current Id and in the voltage V2. The device D2 demodulates the current Id or the voltage V2 and extracts the data signal.

The current Id is of very low value, as well as the voltage V2, generally of the order of millivolt to a few millivolts. Thanks to the progress made in the field of microelectronics, semiconductor chip integrated circuits are nowadays capable of detecting a very low value AC signal and extracting a data carrier modulation signal, in order to implementation of IBAN applications. For example, the integrated circuits MCP2030 and MCP2035 "Analog Front-End Device for BodyCom Applications" marketed by the company Microchip are specifically designed for IBAN applications. An IBAN network allows devices close to the body to exchange data. It is known in particular to use an IBAN network to convey a biological parameter measured by means of a sensor, for example a heart rate sensor, to an information collection device. In this case, the cardiac sensor is equipped with a transmitter D1 and the collection device is equipped with a receiver D2. An IBAN data link is established between the sensor and the collection device. The latter is equipped with storage means, analysis, and / or heart rate display, or transmission thereof to a remote device.

It is also known to use the cardiac signal as a means of identifying a person. Notably, Toronto-based Bionym has developed a product called "HeartID", including biometric identification means based on cardiac signal analysis. Such a method is implemented by means of a dedicated cardiac signal sensor, in the form of a personal computer peripheral.

The present invention is based on the discovery that it is possible to use an intracorporeal current implemented for IBAN data transmission, to capture biological information.

The present invention more particularly relates to an intracorporeal current receiver device comprising means for collecting, by capacitive coupling, an alternating signal depending on a current that has passed through all or part of the body of a subject, and means for extracting data from the AC signal collected, the device comprising further comprises means for extracting from the AC signal a biological signal generated by the body of the subject and modulating the amplitude of the AC signal. According to one embodiment, the device is configured to extract or extrapolate from the biological signal at least one biological parameter or biological information. According to one embodiment, the biological parameter is a parameter involved in the transformation of the cardiac signal into a biological signal.

According to one embodiment, the biological parameter consists in the variations of the arterial pressure of the subject.

According to one embodiment, the biological parameter is the subject's heart rate. According to one embodiment, the biological information comprises at least one variation of the signal BS at a given moment in the cardiac cycle.

According to one embodiment, the device is configured to develop a biometric identification data of the subject from one or more biological parameters and / or one or more biological information.

According to one embodiment, the device comprises means for transmitting data by applying to the body of the subject, by capacitive coupling, an alternating signal modulated by a data signal.

Embodiments of the invention also relate to an intracorporeal current system comprising: an emitter device comprising means for applying to the body of a subject, by capacitive coupling, a first alternating signal, and means for transmitting data by means of intermediate of the first alternating signal, and a receiver device according to the invention, for collecting, by capacitive coupling, a second alternating signal, and extracting from the second alternating signal data transmitted by the transmitting device, wherein the receiving device is configured for during an initialization phase, exchanging data with the transmitting device, and during an acquisition phase, extracting the biological signal from the second AC signal.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the two devices is arranged in a portable object. Embodiments of the invention also relate to a method of acquiring a biological signal generated by the body of a subject, comprising the steps of: applying to the body of the subject a first AC electrical signal, by means of a transmitter device comprising means for applying the first AC signal to the subject body by capacitive coupling, and means for transmitting data via the first AC signal; collecting a second alternating signal according to a current that has passed through all or part of the body of the subject, by means of a receiver device comprising means for collecting, by capacitive coupling, the second alternating signal, and means for extracting data from the AC signal collected; and extracting the biological signal from the second AC signal as a signal modulating the amplitude of the second AC signal. According to one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: during an initialization phase, exchanging data with the transmitting device, by means of the receiving device, and during an acquisition phase, extracting the biological signal of the second alternating signal, by means of the receiver device, as a signal modulating the amplitude of the second alternating signal.

According to one embodiment, the method comprises a step of extracting or extrapolating from the biological signal at least one biological parameter or biological information. According to one embodiment, the biological parameter is a parameter involved in the transformation of the cardiac signal into a biological signal.

In one embodiment, the biological parameter is changes in the subject's blood pressure or the subject's heart rate. Embodiments of the biological signal acquisition method and devices according to the invention will be described in the following, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended figures among which:

FIG. 1 previously described schematically represents an IBAN network,

FIG. 2 previously described is the electrical diagram of the IBAN network of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is the electrical diagram of an embodiment of an IBAN system according to the invention,

FIG. 4a represents a curve of the variations of arterial pressure as a function of the cardiac cycle,

FIG. 4b represents an alternating voltage applied at a point on the body of a subject,

FIG. 4c represents an alternating voltage collected at another point of the body of the subject,

FIG. 4d is an expanded view of a biological signal present in the alternating voltage of FIG. 4c,

FIGS. 6 and 7 show embodiments of a transmitter and a receiver of the device of FIG. 3,

FIG. 8 represents another embodiment of an IBAN system according to the invention,

FIGS. 9 and 10 show embodiments of a transmitter and a receiver of the system of FIG. 7,

FIG. 11 is a timing diagram illustrating the operation of the IBAN system of FIG. 8, and Figure 12 illustrates an application of an IBAN system according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a simplified electrical diagram of an embodiment of an IBAN system according to the invention. The system includes a transmitter device D3 and a receiver device D4. The transmitter D3 comprises an internal electrode IE1, an external electrode OE1, and a voltage generator SG. The generator SG applies to the electrodes IE1, 0E1 an alternating voltage VI whose oscillation frequency Fc may preferably be between 100 KHz and 20 MHz, for example the normalized frequency of 13.56 MHz used in the NFC communications ("Near Field Communication ").

The receiver D4 comprises an internal electrode IE2, an external electrode OE2 and a reception circuit 10 according to the invention. The reception circuit 10 comprises an input connected to the electrode IE2 and a reference potential terminal connected to the electrode OE2, and is configured to extract a biological signal BS from a voltage V2 appearing between the electrodes IE2 and OE2 when the voltage VI is emitted by the transmitter D3. The surface of the electrodes may vary according to the intended application and the conditions of implementation of the system, from a few square millimeters to a few square centimeters. In embodiments, these electrodes may be associated with antenna coils to form resonant circuits. In other embodiments, these electrodes may be replaced by antennas and generally by any means for emitting or sensing an electric field.

It is assumed here that the electrode IE1 is capacitively coupled to a point PI of the body HB of a subject, and that the electrode IE2 is capacitively coupled to a point P2 of the body. The points PI, P2 are fictitious and model inductive coupling zones between each of the electrodes IE1, IE2 and the body of the subject. Under the effect of the electric field generated by the voltage VI, a conduction loop crossing the body of the subject is created. As described above in With reference to FIG. 2, this conduction loop can comprise:

a coupling capacitance Cl between the electrode IE1 and the point P1, a resistance R between the points P1 and P2, representing the electrical resistance of the body (equivalent to the sum of the resistors R1 and R2 of FIG. 2),

a capacitance C2 between the point P2 and the electrode IE2,

a capacitance C6 between the electrode IE2 and the electrode OE2,

a capacitance C4 between the electrode 0E2 and the environment,

a conduction path passing through the environment, schematized by dotted lines, and

a capacitance C3 between the environment and the electrode OE1.

The environment is for example the floor, if the subject is standing without touching objects in his environment, or any element of the environment providing a path of conduction between the external electrodes OE1, OE2. Other conduction paths or "vanishing paths" passing through the body or not, such as the conduction paths passing through the legs and capacitors C5 and C1 shown in FIG. 2, have not been represented in the figure. 3 for the sake of simplicity.

Under the effect of the voltage VI and the electrostatic field that it generates around the subject, relative to the electrical potential of the environment, a current Ib is injected at the point PI of the body. The electrode IE2 then collects a current Id representing a fraction of the current Ib, because of current leaks in other conduction loops. The current Id is a function of the resistance R of the body and generates the voltage V2 between the electrodes IE2 and OE2 of the receiver D4. An Idl part of the current Id passes through the capacitor C6 and a part Id2 of the current Id passes through the reception circuit 10. The current Id then joins the electrode OE1 via the capacitor C4, the environment (path represented by dashed lines ) and the capacity C3. According to the observations on which the invention is based, the current Id collected by the electrode IE2 has an amplitude modulation related to the variations of the resistance R of the body between the points P1 and P2, and these variations of resistance are a function of the variations in the subject's blood pressure. In the diagram of FIG. 3, the resistance R of the body between the points P1 and P2 is therefore represented as a variable resistor whose value fluctuates with the arterial pressure. Then there is a corresponding modulation of the current Id2 and the voltage V2.

Embodiments of the invention are based on this technical effect of biological origin, which is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 4a to 4B. Figure 4a is a graph showing the changes in BP blood pressure of the subject as a function of his cardiac cycle. The BP curve has a H1 peak during the systole phase followed by a H 2 trough during the diastole phase, the H1 peak and the H2 trough as shown may have various shapes depending on the subject. Figure 4b shows the shape of the AC voltage VI generated by the device IE1. It is assumed here that the voltage V V is not amplitude modulated, and therefore has a constant amplitude. FIG. 4c shows the form of the AC voltage V2 detected by the circuit 10 on the electrode IE2 of the receiver D4. The envelope of the signal V2 has an amplitude modulation of low value, generally of the order of a few microvolts, which can be embedded in background noise. This background noise, not shown in the figure, can be random or synchronous, it can in particular be generated by electrical equipment 50 or 60 Hz located in the environment of the subject. After suppressing the noise, the signal V2 appears as the result of an amplitude modulation of the signal VI by a biological signal BS, which therefore forms a signal envelope signal V2. The signal BS reflects the variations of the current Id as a function of the variations of the resistance R of the body, which itself varies as a function of the arterial pressure. FIG. 4d is an expanded view of the variations of the amplitude of the voltage V2 near its maximum value. The biological signal BS is generated by the body of the subject and exhibits inverse variations from those of the BP blood pressure, indicating that the body resistance R decreases as the blood pressure increases.

Thus, the receiving circuit 10 of the device D4 is configured to extract the signal BS from the signal V2, using any appropriate envelope extraction technique, including the deletion of the carrier Fc and the elimination of the random or synchronous noise hide the BS signal.

FIG. 5 represents schematically and without limitation a possible example of a relationship between the biological signal BS, the variations in BP blood pressure, and various biological parameters Bi (B1, B2, B3,...) Which contribute to the existence and the shape of the signal BS. At the origin of the signal BS, two basic parameters B0 and B1 are distinguished. B0 is the cardiac signal CS (or electrocardiogram) and B1 is the heart rate Fcd, equal to the inverse of the cardiac period Tcd.

A modeling of the biological system represented by the body, in which the body is considered to comprise a set of "transfer functions" FT (Bi) (or transformation functions) each of which is considered to be a function, is proposed in a non-limiting and experimental way. Biological parameter Bi and which, from the two basic biological parameters B0 and B1, lead to obtaining the biological signal BS measurable with the aforementioned extraction technique. It will be noted that what is set forth herein in connection with FIG. 5 concerns only certain aspects of certain embodiments of the invention and is based on hypotheses requiring further research and development work for their application exploitation. . The present invention therefore opens a wide field and extensive application possibilities requiring further studies.

For purposes of simplicity, only four FT (B2), FT (B3), FT (B5), FT (B6) transformation functions have been shown. The FT (B2), FT (B3) functions are cumulative and transform the cardiac signal CS into changes in BP blood pressure. The BP changes in blood pressure are themselves considered as an intermediate biological parameter B5. The FT (B5), FT (B6) functions are also cumulative and transform the changes in BP BP into a measurable BS biological signal. The biological parameters Bi are considered as extractable or extrapolated from the signal BS. In some cases, the extraction or extrapolation of a biological parameter Bi may require knowledge of all or part of the other biological parameters.

The biological parameter B2 represents, for example, the shape of the heart, its tone, the quality of the cardiac muscles, and indirectly the age of the subject. For example, the FT (B2) function generally represents the ability of the heart to transform the cardiac signal into changes in arterial pressure. The parameter B3 represents, for example, the activity of the subject at the time when the biological signal BS is measured, and the function FT (B3) represents, for example, the influence of the subject's activity on the variations of his arterial pressure. For example, the BP blood pressure signal may differ depending on whether the subject is at rest, jumping on the right leg or left leg, walking, running, etc. The parameter B5 represents, for example, the irrigating of the tissues of the body in the region through which the current Ib passes, and the function FT (B5) represents, for example, a function of transforming the variations of arterial pressure into variations of the resistivity of the tissue in the region crossed by the current Ib, which can vary depending on the tissue and well irrigated or not. The parameter B6 represents for example the state of hydration of the subject, and the function FT (B6) represents for example a function of transformation of the variations of arterial pressure into variations of the resistivity of the tissue in the region crossed by the current Ib, which may vary according to whether the tissue is well hydrated or not. The knowledge of the signal BS can make it possible to extract or extrapolate some of the biological parameters, in a simple or more complex manner depending on the parameter sought. For example, the knowledge of the signal BS can firstly be used to determine the heart rate Fcd, which is also the frequency of the signal BS. Moreover, assuming that the transformation functions FT (B5), FT (B6) are not active, the signal BS makes it possible to find the BP blood pressure signal, one being the inverse of the other. More complexly, the FT (B5), FT (B6) functions can be calibrated by BP BP measurements using a suitable instrument, while measuring the BS signal, and by correlation between the shape BS signal and measured changes in blood pressure. Similarly, a measurement of the cardiac signal CS by means of a suitable instrument can make it possible to establish a relation between the precise form of the cardiac signal CS and that of the signal BS, or between the precise form of the cardiac signal CS and the shape of the the curve of changes in BP blood pressure, which can then be used to extrapolate the cardiac signal CS of the biological signal BS. The knowledge of the signal BS can also make it possible to extract or extrapolate from this signal biological information Ii, which is directly or indirectly representative of biological parameters Bi. For example, the slope of the variation of the signal BS at a first point of the curve of the signal BS, or the local derivative of the signal BS, may constitute a first biological information II, the local derivative of the signal BS at the second point of the curve of the signal BS can constitute a second biological information 12, the derivative in a third point of the curve a third biological information 13, the derivative in a fourth point of the curve a fourth biological information 14, etc. These various points of Measurement of the derivative can be easily spotted on the BS signal curve with reference to the cardiac cycle, which is also the BS signal cycle. The information Ii extracted in this way from the signal BS is representative of the changes in the BP blood pressure, as seen in FIG. 5, but the variations of the information II to 14 in time can themselves constitute other biological information. representative of an evolution of the biological parameters B2, B3, B5, B6. In other words, for the same subject, the same cardiac signal can be translated, at different times, by different variations of the arterial pressure depending on the state of the subject's heart (parameter B2) or the the activity of the subject (parameter B3), and the same variation in blood pressure may result, at different times, in different variations in the tissue conductivity depending on the tissue irrigation (parameter B5) or the tissue hydration (parameter B6). Figures 6 and 7 respectively show an embodiment of the transmitter D3 and the receiver D4. The transmitter D3 comprises a control circuit CNT ensuring the activation and deactivation of the generator SG and optionally the adjustment of the amplitude of the signal VI. The receiving circuit 10 of the device D4 comprises a biological signal acquisition circuit BS, a CPU processor and a program memory MEM. The memory MEM comprises the operating system of the processor CPU and a BEPG program for extracting the signal BS. The acquisition chain 20 comprises a DC decoupling capacitor, a low noise amplifier LNA ("Low Noise Amplifier"), an FM band-pass filter and an ADC analog / digital converter whose output is connected to a port of the CPU. The amplifier LNA is connected to the electrode IE2 via the decoupling capacitor CC. The output of the amplifier is connected to the input of the ADC converter via the FM bandpass filter. The LNA amplifier can be an amplifier of voltage and amplify the voltage V2, or a current amplifier and amplify the Id2 fraction of the current Id which passes through it, the signal at the output of the acquisition chain being in all cases a signal S (BS) which is the image of the current Id as well as the image of the voltage V2.

The FM filter has a bandwidth centered on the carrier frequency Fc to eliminate noise outside the IBAN frequency band, such as noise at 50 Hz or 60 Hz generated by electrical equipment and random noise, and leave pass that the Fc carrier and the biological signal BS. For example, if the frequency Fc is 10 MHz, the FM filter is centered on 10 Mhz with a bandwidth ranging from 9 to 11 MHz, to provide the ADC converter with a "clean" signal S (BS) having a central band at 10 MHz and sidebands carrying the biological signal BS.

The BEPG program executed by the CPU processor then provides the demodulation and low-pass filtering of the signal S (BS), the demodulation for suppressing the carrier Fc and the filtering for extracting the biological signal BS from the demodulated signal. In an alternative embodiment, these steps of demodulation and low-pass filtering can be performed with an analog demodulator and a low-pass filter arranged between the FM filter and the ADC converter.

In one embodiment, the memory MEM furthermore comprises a biological analysis program BAPG enabling the processor CPU to extract or extrapolate from the biological signal BS a biological parameter Bi or a biological information item Ii of the type previously described, or any another parameter or biological information that can be subsequently highlighted, that the processor can optionally provide on an output port.

For example, the biological analysis program BAPG is configured to extract the heart rate Fcd from the signal BS, by measurement of the frequency of this signal. The BAPG program can also use a database stored in the MEM memory, developed during a calibration phase, or an extrapolation function developed by experiments, to reconstitute the subject's CS signal signal from the signal BS. . The BAPG program can also search in the biological signal BS for one of the other Bi biological parameters described above.

In one embodiment, the memory MEM also comprises a biological application program APG that uses the biological signal BS, the biological parameter Bi or the biological information Ii provided by the BAPG program, to obtain a result R (Bi, Ii ) that the CPU can possibly supply on an output port. The APG application program can for example be:

a subject health monitoring program, which compares the curve of the signal BS at a given instant with a curve of the signal BS stored at a previous instant, or which compares a biological parameter Bi or a biological information Ii provided by the program BAPG, biological parameter Bi or biological information Ii measured previously, or biological reference parameter or information relating to the state of health of the subject. The result R can then consist in information on the state of health of the subject;

- a sleep detection program, which supervises the BS signal. For this purpose, the program can use a combination of biological parameters Bi and biological information Ii that can be extracted from the signal BS, for example the heart rate Fcd and local derivatives of the signal BS. The result R (Bi, Ii) can then consist of an alert, which can be sent to an external device in order to generate a visual or audible alarm;

a program executing steps of biometric identification of the subject. In this case, the program APG generates from the signal BS biometric identification data of the subject. This identification data is for example a template or template ("template") which defines the general form of the signal BS, considered as unique and specific to the subject, like the variations of the cardiac signal CS, already used in the state of the art as a biometric identification signal. The APG program can use any known method to define this template, for example using a set of local derivatives of the signal BS to define the model. The APG program then compares this signature with a previously memorized signature, and provides a positive or negative result (success or failure).

a cryptographic program using as encryption key one or more biological information Ii obtained from the signal BS, for example one or more local derivatives of the signal BS. The result R can then be the result of the transformation of a data item or a message by the cryptography function.

Figure 8 schematically shows another embodiment of an IBAN system according to the invention. The transmitter device D3 is replaced by a transceiver device D5 and the receiver device D4 is replaced by a transceiver device D6. The devices D5, D6 are configured to exchange data via the body HB, by means of an IBAN signal, in a conventional manner. The device D6 is further configured to extract the biological signal BS from the signal IBAN emitted by the device D5. The system preferably operates in two phases PHI and PH2, the phase PHI being an initialization phase and PH2 a phase of acquisition of the biological signal BS by the device D6.

During the PHI phase, the two devices exchange data and define the beginning of phase PH2. The device D5 is "initiator" and the device D6 is "target". The device D5 is placed in transmitter mode and transmits an alternating voltage Vl (SDT1) of frequency Fc which is modulated in amplitude by a data signal SDT1. The signal SDT1 is preferably an alternating signal with a frequency lower than that of the carrier Fc, for example a signal of a few hundred kilohertz if the carrier Fc is the order of a few megahertz. The device D6, by default in receiver mode, receives an alternating voltage V2 (SDT1, BS) which is modulated by the data signal SDT1. The device D6 extracts the data signal SDT1 from the voltage V2, and then extracts the data DT1 included in the signal SDT1.

The voltage V2 is a function of an IBAN current having passed through the body HB of the subject, whose resistance R varies with the arterial pressure, it is also and necessarily amplitude-modulated by the biological signal BS. Preferably, however, the device D6 does not extract the signal BS from the voltage V2 during the phase PHI. Since the signal BS is a low frequency signal, its extraction would considerably slow the execution of the PHI phase.

When the device D5 has sent the data DT1, it stops supplying the voltage VI, switches to the receiver mode and waits for a response from the device D6. After extracting the data DT1, the device D6 in turn transmits an alternating voltage V1 (SDT2), of frequency Fc, modulated in amplitude by a data signal SDT2. The device D5 receives an alternating voltage V2 (SDT2, BS) which is modulated by the data signal SDT2. The device D5 extracts the data signal SDT2 from the voltage V2, and then extracts the data DT2 from the data signal SDT2. It will be noted that the voltage V2 is also amplitude modulated by the biological signal BS, but that the device D5 does not include means for extracting this signal.

The devices D5 and D6 exchange data DT1, DT2 until the beginning of the acquisition phase PH2. During phase PH2, the device D5 goes into transmitter mode and transmits the alternating voltage VI without modulating its amplitude. The device D6 is placed in receiver mode and receives a voltage V2 (BS) modulated in amplitude by the biological signal BS, from which it extracts the signal BS. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of the device D5. This comprises a processor CPU1 coupled to a memory MEM1, data transmission means and data receiving means. The memory MEM1 comprises a program DEPG1 for extracting data and an initialization program INIT1. The data transmission means comprise the processor CPU1, a coding circuit CCT1 having an input connected to a port of the processor, a mixing amplifier MD1 having a first input connected to the output of the coding circuit CCT1 and a second input connected to a voltage generator SGI, and a switch SW1 controlled by the processor, connecting the output of the amplifier MD1 to the electrode IE1. The receiving means comprises the CPU1 processor and a data acquisition chain. The acquisition chain 30 comprises a decoupling capacitor CCI, a low noise amplifier LNA1, a band-pass filter FMI and an ADC1 analog / digital converter whose output is connected to a port of the processor CPU1. The amplifier LNA1 has an input connected to the electrode IE1 via the decoupling capacitor CCI. The output of the amplifier is connected to the input of the ADC1 converter via the FMI bandpass filter. The FMI filter is centered on the transmission frequency of the SDT2 data signal transmitted by the device D6.

During phase PHI, when the device D5 is in the receiver mode, the switch SW1 is open, the acquisition chain 30 receives the voltage V2 (SDT2, BS) or a corresponding current and supplies the processor CPU1 with a signal S ( DT2, BS) filtered and digitized. By means of the DEPG1 program, the processor demodulates the signal S (DT2, BS), extracts the data signal SDT2 and then the data DT2 that it comprises.

When the device D5 is in the transmitter mode, the switch SW1 is closed, the processor supplies the data DT1 to the coding circuit CCT1, which supplies the data signal SDT1. The amplifier MD1 modulates the amplitude of the voltage VI, supplied by the generator SGI, with the signal SDT1, and applies to the electrode IE1, via the switch SW1, the modulated voltage Vl (SDT1). The initialization program INIT1 exchanges the data DT1, DT2 with the device D6 to determine the start time of the acquisition phase PH2. During phase PH2, the device D5 is in the transmitter mode, the switch SW1 is closed, the coding circuit CCT1 is inactive, the amplifier MD1 receives the voltage V1 and applies it to the electrode IE1 without modulating its amplitude .

Figure 10 shows an exemplary embodiment of the device D6. This comprises a processor CPU2 coupled to a memory MEM2, data transmission means and a reception circuit 100 configured to allow both the reception of the data DT1 sent by the device D5 during the phase PHI, and the extraction of the biological signal BS during phase PH2. The memory MEM2 comprises the program BEPG for extracting the signal BS, a program DEPG2 for extracting data, and an initialization program INIT2. It may also include the previously described BAPG biological analysis program and APG application program.

The data transmission means comprise the processor CPU2, a coding circuit CCT2 having an input connected to a port of the processor, a mixing amplifier MD2 having a first input connected to the output of the coding circuit CCT2 and a second input connected to a voltage generator SG2, and a switch SW2 controlled by the processor, connecting the output of the amplifier MD2 to the electrode IE2.

The receiving circuit 100 comprises the CPU2 processor and a data acquisition and biological signal acquisition chain 40, the configuration of which is modified by the processor during the transition from the PHI phase to the PH2 phase. The acquisition chain 40 includes a decoupling capacitor CC2, a low noise amplifier LNA2, a bandpass filter FM2, and an analog / digital converter ADC2 whose output is connected to a CPU2 processor port. The amplifier LNA2 has an input connected to the electrode IE2 through the decoupling capacitor CC2. The output of the amplifier is connected to the input of the ADC2 converter via the bandpass filter FM2. The filter FM2 is centered on the transmission frequency of the data signal SDT1 transmitted by the device D6.

During phase PHI, when the device D6 is in the receiver mode, the switch SW2 is open, the acquisition chain 40 receives the voltage V2 (SDT1, BS) or the current Id2 that it supplies to the processor CPU2 under the form of a signal S (DT1, BS) filtered and digitized. By means of the DEPG2 program, the processor demodulates the signal S (DT1, BS), extracts the data signal SDT1 and then the data DT1. When the device D5 is in the transmitter mode, the switch SW2 is closed, the processor supplies the data DT2 to the coding circuit CCT2, which supplies the data signal SDT2. The amplifier MD2 modulates the amplitude of the voltage VI supplied by the generator SG2 by means of the signal SDT2, and applies to the electrode IE2, via the switch SW2, the modulated voltage V1 (SDT2). During the PHI phase, the initialization program INIT2 communicates with the program INIT1 of the device D5 using the data DT1, DT2, to determine the beginning of the phase PH2. In one embodiment, the PHI phase may also enable the device D6 to send to the device D5 the biological signal BS or the biological parameter Bi that it has extracted during a previous acquisition phase PH2.

At the beginning of the phase PH2, the acquisition chain 40 receives the voltage V2 (BS) or the signal Id2 and supplies the signal S (BS) to the processor CPU2 in digital form after eliminating the noise in the received signal. The processor demodulates and filters the signal S (BS) using the BEPG program, as already described, to extract the biological signal BS. In a variant, the device D6 comprises two separate acquisition chains for respectively to receive the DT1 data during the PHI phase and the biological signal BS during the PH2 phase. The device D6 may optionally comprise the BAPG program, for analyzing the biological signal BS and extracting a biological parameter Bi or biological information Ii, and / or the biological application program APG, for exploiting the biological signal BS, the biological parameter Bi or biological information Ii.

FIG. 11 is a timing diagram illustrating the unfolding of the PHI, PH2 phases. For the sake of clarity, the programs INIT1, INIT2, BAPG, APG are represented as software entities separate from the devices D5, D6, considered here as physical layer means in the service of these software entities. Similarly, the body HB of the subject is considered as a modulation means which transforms the signals VI into V2 signals modulated by the biological signal BS. It can be seen that the programs INIT1, INIT2 interact via the data DT1, DT2 during the PHI phase. The program INIT1 supplies the data DT1 to the device D5 which transmits them in the form of the modulated voltage Vl (SDT1). The body HB transfers the signal V2 (SDT1, BS) to the device D6 (or the signal Id (SDT1, BS) by current reasoning), which extracts the data DT1 from this signal and supplies them to the program INIT2. Likewise, the program INIT2 supplies the data DT2 to the device D6 which transmits them in the form of the modulated voltage V1 (SDT2). The body HB transfers the signal V2 (SDT2, BS) to the device D5, which extracts the data DT2 from this signal and supplies them to the program INIT1. During phase PH2, the device D5 emits the signal VI, the body HB transfers the signal V2 (BS) to the device D6, which extracts the biological signal BS. The BAPG analysis program extracts at least one biological parameter Bi or biological information Ii from the biological signal. The APG application program can provide a result depending on the biological signal BS, biological parameter Bi or biological information Ii, and implement applications such as cardiac monitoring, biometric identification, detection falling asleep, etc. The present invention is susceptible of various applications. In practice, at least one of the devices D3 and D4, or D5 and D6, can be embedded in an object that a user often wears on him. For example, the device D4 or D6 can be embedded in a watch, or in a mobile phone MP, as shown in FIG. 12. The device D3 or D5 can be fixed and placed at a determined location, for example a table or a chair, close to the user. The biological signal BS can be detected as soon as the device D4 or D6 is close to the user, for example when the MP phone is held by the user or is in one of his pockets. Conversely, embodiments may provide that voluntary movement of the user is required to trigger acquisition of the biological signal BS. For example, if the device D3 or D5 is placed on a table, it can be provided that the user, to trigger the acquisition of the biological signal BS, must approach the hand on an area of the device where the electrode IE1 is located , or approach it from this area. In embodiments, the BAPG and / or APG programs may be executed by the device D5 instead of by the device D6, the latter then transmitting to the device D5 the biological signal BS or the biological parameter Bi during the phase PHI.

Moreover, the devices D3 to D5 described in the foregoing are capable of various variants. The FM, FMI, FM2 filters of the acquisition chains 20, 30, 40 could be digital filtering programs executed by the processor and applied to the digitized signal supplied by the converters ADC, ADC1, ADC2.

Finally, although it has been indicated in the foregoing that the amplitude modulations of the IBAN signal representative of the biological signal BS are related to the heart rate, other cyclic factors influencing the electrical resistivity of the body are likely to be evidenced by subsequent studies, including the respiratory rate that acts on the oxygenation of the blood and could also modulate the electrical resistivity of the body at a different rhythm of the heart rate, resulting in additional modulation of the IBAN signal which can allow the extraction of another biological signal.

Claims

1. Receiving device (D6) with intracorporeal current (Id) comprising means (IE2, OE2) for collecting, by capacitive coupling, an alternating signal (V2, Id2) according to a current (Id) having passed through all or part of the body (HB) of a subject, and means (40, 100) for extracting data from the collected alternative signal,

characterized in that it further comprises means (40, 100) for extracting from the AC signal a biological signal (BS) generated by the subject's body and modulating the amplitude of the AC signal.

2. Device according to claim 1, configured to extract or extrapolate from the biological signal (BS) at least one biological parameter (Bi) or biological information (Ii).

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the biological parameter (Bi) is a parameter (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6) involved in the transformation of the cardiac signal (CS, B0) into a biological signal (BS). .

4. Device according to one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the biological parameter (Bi) consists in the variations (B5) of the blood pressure of the subject (BP).

5. Device according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the biological parameter (Bi) is the heart rate of the subject (Fcd, Bl).

6. Device according to one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the biological information (Ii) comprises at least one variation (II, 12, 13, 14) of the signal BS at a given time of the cardiac cycle.

7. Device according to one of claims 2 to 6, configured to develop a biometric identification data of the subject from one or more biological parameters (Bi) and / or one or more biological information.

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising means (CCT2, MD2, SG2, IE2) for transmitting data by applying to the body (HB) of the subject, by capacitive coupling, a modulated alternating signal (VI). by a data signal (SDT2).

9. Intracorporeal current system comprising:

an emitter device (D5) comprising means (IE1, 0E1, CCT1, MD1, SGI, IE1) for applying to the body (HB) of a subject, by capacitive coupling, a first alternating signal (VI, Ib), and means (CCT1, CPU1, MEM1) for transmitting data via the first AC signal, and

- a receiver device (D6) according to one of claims 1 to 8, for collecting, by capacitive coupling, a second alternating signal (V2, Id2), and extracting from the second alternating signal data transmitted by the transmitting device,

wherein the receiving device (D6) is configured for: - during an initialization phase (PHI), exchanging data with the transmitting device (D5), and

during an acquisition phase, extracting the biological signal (BS) from the second alternating signal (V2, Id2).

The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the two devices is arranged in a portable object (MP).

A method of acquiring a biological signal (BS) generated by the body of a subject, comprising the steps of:

applying to the body (HB) of the subject a first alternating electrical signal (VI, Ib), by means of a transmitting device (D5) comprising means (IE1, OE1, CCT1, MD1, SGI, IE1) for applying the first alternating signal (VI, Ib) to the body (HB) of the subject by capacitive coupling, and means (CCT1, CPU1, MEM1) for transmitting data via the first AC signal, collecting a second alternating signal (V2, Id2) according to a current (Id) having passed through all or part of the body of the subject, by means of a receiving device (D6) comprising means (IE2, 0E2) for collecting, by capacitive coupling, the second alternating signal (V2, Id2), and means (40, 100) for extracting data from the collected alternating signal, and

extracting the biological signal (BS) from the second alternating signal as a signal modulating the amplitude of the second alternating signal.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

during an initialization phase (PHI), exchanging data with the transmitting device (D5), by means of the receiving device (D6), and

during an acquisition phase, extracting the biological signal (BS) from the second alternating signal, by means of the receiver device (D6), as a signal modulating the amplitude of the second alternating signal.

13. Method according to one of claims 11 and 12, comprising a step of extracting or extrapolating from the biological signal (BS) at least one biological parameter (Bi) or biological information (Ii).

The method according to claim 13, wherein the biological parameter (Bi) is a parameter (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6) involved in the transformation of the cardiac signal (CS, B0) into a biological signal (BS). .

15. Method according to one of claims 13 and 14, wherein the biological parameter (Bi) consists in the variations (B5) of the blood pressure of the subject (BP) or the heart rate of the subject (Fcd, Bl).