Methods and apparatus for monitoring alertness of an individual utilizing a wearable device and providing notification

• US 10,055,964 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Torvec, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Torvec, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Richard A., Hemink, Douglas A., Kenyon, Matt
• Primary Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US15/510,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 340575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1104 induced by stimuli or drugs; A61B5/1102 takes precedence; investigating medicinal preparations G01N33/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/162 Testing reaction times
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/74 Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient indicating measured values G01D7/00; user input means input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 : detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 : worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 : Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for monitoring fatigue and notifying an individual are described. The individual may be an operator of a vehicle, equipment, or machine, a student, or other person that may experience fatigue. Motion of the individual is monitored to detect a predescribed motion in response to a stimulus to first determine a base responsiveness profile. Afterwards, a current responsiveness profile is determined based on a prescribed motion in response to a stimulus, and if the current responsiveness profile exceeds a predetermined threshold of the base responsiveness profile, a notification is issued to the individual and, optionally, another person such as an employer, teacher, or parent.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus for monitoring fatigue and notifying a user, the wearable apparatus comprising:

sensors configured to measure biomarkers of the user;

a notification generator configured to generate a warning to the user in response to receipt of a signal;

a processor coupled to the sensors and the notification generator, the processor configured to;

obtain biomarker measurements from the sensors;

generate a personal circadian rhythm for the user, and the position of the user along that circadian rhythm, using the measured biomarkers;

identify a baseline risk level for the user by assessing the personal circadian rhythm of the user and the position of the user along that personal circadian rhythm;

determine a sleep drive of the user based upon continual or periodic sensor measurements, wherein sleep and wakefulness cycles of the user are derived from actigraphy data obtained from the sensors;

generate a mask event of the personal circadian rhythm based upon changes in body position or activity of the user;

remove the mask event from a personal circadian rhythm estimate by scaling data from the circadian rhythm to correct for body position as measured by the sensors and averaging the circadian rhythm data in a testing period;

scale the circadian rhythm data to generate corrected data for an activity of the user during the testing period as measured by the sensors;

generate a more accurate estimate of the personal circadian rhythm based on the corrected data;

send the signal to the notification generator when the baseline risk level is in a predetermined range; and

a support configured to support the sensors, notification generator, and processor on the body of the user.

2. The wearable apparatus of new claim 1, wherein the notification generator is configured to transmit a notification to a third party via a transceiver coupled to the wearable apparatus.

3. The wearable apparatus of new claim 1, wherein the processor generates the personal circadian rhythm, and the position of the user along that personal circadian rhythm, based upon a skin temperature of the user as measured at the location of the wearable apparatus.

4. The wearable apparatus of new claim 3, wherein the processor generates the personal circadian rhythm by correlating a distal skin temperature of the user to a core body temperature of the user.

5. A method of monitoring alertness of a user, comprising:

positioning a wearable apparatus on the user'"'"'s body, wherein the apparatus is configured to measure one or more biomarkers of the user selected from the group consisting of skin temperature, heart rate, and galvanic skin response;

correlating the one or more biomarkers to establish an estimated personal circadian rhythm for the user;

determining a position of the user within the user'"'"'s estimated personal circadian rhythm based on the detected changes in the one or more biomarkers of the user over time;

determining, based on the estimated personal circadian rhythm of the user and the position of the user along the estimated personal circadian rhythm, an alertness level of the user;

determining a sleep drive of the user based upon continual or periodic sensor measurements, wherein sleep and wakefulness cycles of the user are derived from actigraphy data obtained from sensors;

generating a mask event of the estimated personal circadian rhythm based upon changes in body position or activity of the user;

removing the mask event from the estimated personal circadian rhythm by scaling data from the circadian rhythm to correct for body position as measured by the sensors and averaging circadian rhythm data in a testing period;

scaling the circadian rhythm data to generate corrected data for an activity of the user during the testing period as measured by the sensors; and

generating a more accurate personal circadian rhythm estimate based on the corrected data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the wearable apparatus is placed on a surface of the user'"'"'s body in contact with the user'"'"'s skin; and

the biomarker relied upon to establish the estimated personal circadian rhythm for the user, and the position of the user within that circadian rhythm, is skin temperature.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the estimated personal circadian rhythm and the alertness level determined for the user are used to generate a dynamic risk level for the user.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the user, a third party, or both are notified of the user'"'"'s dynamic risk level.

9. A method for monitoring fatigue and notifying a user, comprising:

affixing on a body of the user an apparatus comprising;

sensors and processors configured to detect and monitor biomarkers of the user,

wherein the biomarkers are selected from the group consisting of skin temperature, heart rate, and galvanic skin response; and

a notification generator;

generating an estimated personal circadian rhythm for the user based upon measured biomarkers;

determining a dynamic risk level for the user based on the estimated personal circadian rhythm of the user, and a position of the user along that estimated personal circadian rhythm;

determining a sleep drive of the user based upon continual or periodic sensor measurements, wherein sleep and wakefulness cycles of the user are derived from actigraphy data obtained from the sensors;

generating a mask event of the estimated personal circadian rhythm based upon changes in body position or activity of the user;

removing the mask event from the estimated personal circadian rhythm by scaling data from the circadian rhythm to correct for body position as measured by the sensors and averaging circadian rhythm data in a testing period;

scaling the circadian rhythm data to generate corrected data for an activity of the user during the testing period as measured by the sensors;

generating a more accurate personal circadian rhythm estimate based on the corrected data; and

sending a signal to the notification generator when an identified risk level is in a predetermined range such that the notification generator alerts the user, a third party of the identified risk level, or both.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the biomarkers is skin temperature.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein biomarker measurements relied upon to determine the dynamic risk level are made at a location of the wearable apparatus on the user'"'"'s body.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wearable apparatus is located on a distal portion of the body.