METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROTECTING FROM ELECTRIC SHOCK BY DETECTING AND EVALUATING PHYSICAL-MEDICAL FACTORS

Abstract

A method and a device for protecting a person from electric shock includes detecting a physical-medical factor by means of a sensor device (6) carried on the body (4) of the person; evaluating the physical medial factor, which has been detected by the sensor device (6) as sensor data (20), by means of an evaluation device (8) to discover whether a risk from a body current (I.sub.B) is to be anticipated; and switching off a power supply (12), which is allocated to the person and causes the possible body current (I.sub.B), by means of a switch-off device (10) if this risk exists.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a person from electric shock, the method comprising the steps: detecting a physical-medical factor by a sensor (6) carried on the body (4) of the person, evaluating the physical medial factor, which has been detected by the sensor (6) as sensor data (20), by a computer (8) to discover whether a risk from a body current (I.sub.B) is to be anticipated, switching off a power supply (12) allocated to the person and causing the possible body current (I.sub.B) by the switch (10) if this risk exists.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or several of the following physical-medical factors are detected: acceleration, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including merging the sensor data (20) of the physical-medical factors detected by different sensors (6).

4. The method according to claim 1,wherein the sensor data (20) is evaluated for predictive detection of a possible body current (I.sub.B) residing above a normatively determined let-go threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation takes place using digital signal-processing algorithms.

6. The method according to claim 1,wherein the transfer of sensor data takes place via a wired or wireless connection using a sensor-data transmitter (14).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the allocation and switching-off of the power supply (12) takes place via a wired or wireless connection using a switch-off transmitter (16).

8. A device (2) for protecting a person from electric shock, the device (2) comprising: a sensor carried on the body (4) of the person for detecting a physical-medical factor, a computer (8) for evaluating the physical-medical factor detected by the sensor (6) as sensor data (20) to discover whether a risk from a body current (I.sub.B) is to be anticipated, a switch (10) for switching off a power supply (12) allocated to the person and causing the possible body current (I.sub.B) if this risk exists.

9. The device (2) according to claim 8, including one or several of the following sensors (6): acceleration sensor, heart rate sensor, blood pressure monitor, body temperature sensor.

10. The device (2) according to claim 8,wherein the computer (8) is configured for merging the sensor data (20) of the physical-medical factors detected by different sensors (6).

11. The device (2) according to the claim 8, wherein the computer (8) is configured for predictive detection of a possible body current residing above a normatively determined let-go threshold.

12. The device (2) according to claim 8, wherein the computer (8) is configured for evaluating the sensor data (20) using digital signal-processing algorithms.

13. The device (2) according to claim 8, wherein a sensor-data transmitter is provided (14) for a wired or wireless transfer of the sensor data (20).

14. The device (2) according to claim 8, wherein a switch-off-signal transmitter (16) for allocating and switching off the power supply (12) by a wired or wireless transfer method.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0042] Further advantageous embodiment features are derived from the following description and the drawing which describes a preferred embodiment of the invention using an example.

[0043] The FIGURE shows the device according to the invention in a functional illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The FIGURE shows a functional illustration of (protective) device 2 according to the invention in conjunction with a person through whose body 4 flows a body current I.sub.B while working on an allocated power supply 12.

[0045] One or several sensor devices 6 record physical-medical factors, such as acceleration, heart rate, blood pressure or body temperature, and detect these as sensor data 20 in an electronically evaluable form.

[0046] Sensor devices 6 can be realized as autonomous sensors, e.g., electrodes, or in particular as an integral component of so-called wearables.

[0047] Sensor data 20 are merged in an evaluation device 8 and evaluated together to discover whether a risk from a possible body current I.sub.B is to be anticipated.

[0048] For early detection of a possible physiologically critical state of human body 4 triggered by body current I.sub.B, evaluation device 8 is configured for executing digital signal-processing algorithms and preferably comprises a microprocessor as a computing unit or computer. In particular the algorithms for evaluating sensor data 20 are programmed in such a manner that a body current is detected which could exceed the normatively determined let-go threshold of 5 mA.

[0049] Sensor device 6 and evaluation device 8 can form an integral structural unit and be carried on the person's body 4 as wearables, for example.

[0050] In an exemplary manner, sensor device 6 and evaluation device 8 are realized as separate devices in the FIGURE so that the transfer of sensor data 20 preferably takes place via a wireless connection using a sensor-data transfer device 14 or transmitter which comprises a send/receive part for data disposed in sensor device 6 and evaluation device 8, respectively.

[0051] If the evaluation of sensor data 20 in evaluation device 8 points to any indication of a physiologically critical state, evaluation device 8 forwards a switch-off signal 22 to a switch-off device 10 or switch allocated to the person in order to switch off allocated power supply 12.

[0052] In this example, switch-off signal 22 is transferred wireless by means of a switch-off-signal transfer device 16 which comprises a send/receive unit or transmitter for signals disposed in evaluation device 8 and switch-off device 10, respectively.

[0053] In order to allocate the acting person to the power supply system 12 to be switched off, additional identifying data 24 are transferred between evaluation device 8 and switch-off device 10 via switch-off-signal transfer device 16.

[0054] For this purpose, the wireless transfer method used in switch-off-signal transfer device 16 can be based on known methods, such as RFID, Bluetooth or WiFi.