Patent ID: 7262703
Filing Date: 2007-08-28
Classification: A61B,G08B

Abstract:
1. A system for generating a signal indicative of a state of a user's body, the system comprising: a housing assembly; and first and second spaced electrodes on the housing assembly situated so that an electrical impulse can be generated a) through the first electrode to a first user appendage in operative contact with the first electrode and b) from a second user appendage in operative contact with the second electrode to the second electrode, to thereby allow generation of a user impedance signal, the user impedance signal usable to identify a state of a user's body, wherein the housing assembly has first and second contours that can be operatively grasped, one each in the hand of a user so that the fingers on the user's hands converge towards each other and as to allow each hand to operatively contact one of the electrodes while avoiding direct contact between the hands grasping the first and second contours, wherein the first electrode is on the first contour, the system further comprising a third electrode on the first contour that is electrically insulated from the first electrode, the first and third electrodes facing oppositely and situated so that a user's one hand can grasp the first contour and thereby the first and third electrodes with a squeezing action so that the first electrode is pressed forcibly against at least one of the user's fingers on the user's one hand and the third electrode is pressed forcibly against the palm and/or thumb on the user's one hand, the second contour graspable by the user's other hand to cause the signal indicative of a state of the user's body to be generated, the housing assembly configured so that with the user's one hand grasping the first contour the user's at least one finger on the one hand against which the first electrode is pressed is blocked by the housing assembly from contacting the user's palm and/or thumb on the one hand against which the third electrode is pressed, wherein the housing assembly has an electrically insulating barrier assembly at a region between the first and second contours where the user's fingers converge with the user's hands operatively grasping the first and second contours to engage a user's finger tips and thereby block inadvertent contact between fingers on the user's one hand with fingers on the user's other hand.