Mouthguard for analysis of biomarkers for traumatic brain injury

• US 10,265,001 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozloski, James R., Lamorey, Mark C. H., Pickover, Clifford A., Rice, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F
• Application Number:
  US14/745,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160331296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/682 Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth
• 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 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for monitoring a user of a helmet for traumatic brain injury. Aspects include obtaining a saliva specimen from a mouthguard and providing the saliva specimen to a lab on chip. Aspects further include determining whether the saliva specimen contains a biomarker that indicates the user suffered a traumatic brain injury and creating an alert that the user of the helmet has suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a user for traumatic brain injuries, the method comprising:

determining that the user has suffered a severe impact;

obtaining a saliva specimen from a mouthguard that is worn by the user, wherein obtaining the saliva specimen from the mouthguard is performed after a delay period from the severe impact, wherein the delay is determined based on a severity of the severe impact experienced by the user;

providing the saliva specimen to a lab on chip;

analyzing the saliva specimen for one or more biomarkers; and

creating an alert that the user of the mouthguard may have suffered a traumatic brain injury, wherein the alert includes an indication of the one or more biomarkers, a concentration of the one or more biomarkers and an identification of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lab on chip is disposed within the mouthguard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lab on chip is disposed within a helmet that is in fluid communication with the mouthguard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the user has suffered a severe impact is based on a determination that a helmet worn by the user has experienced an acceleration above a threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold amount is based upon a medical history of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the delay is further determined based on a medical history of the user.