Precision brain blood flow assessment remotely in real time using nanotechnology ultrasound

• US 20040002654A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Health Sciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: New Health Sciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Davidson, John B., Crutchfield, Kevin E., Mozayeni, B. Robert, Fitall, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 6,955,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/454
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8925 the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52036 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for assessing blood flow in blood vessels, for assessing vascular health, for conducting clinical trials, for screening therapeutic interventions for adverse effects, and for assessing the effects of risk factors, therapies and substances, including therapeutic substances, on blood vessels, especially cerebral blood vessels, all achieved by measuring various parameters of blood flow in one or more vessels and analyzing the results in a defined matter. The relevant parameters of blood flow include mean flow velocity, systolic acceleration, and pulsatility index. By measuring and analyzing these parameters, one can ascertain the vascular health of a particular vessel, multiple vessels and an individual. Such measurements can also determine whether a substance has an effect, either deleterious or advantageous, on vascular health. In one of many embodiments, the present invention further provides an expert system for achieving the above.

Claims

1. A method of assessing a hazard to normal blood flow in a remote setting comprising the steps of:

referencing a first characteristic signature, the first characteristic signature representing normal blood flow;

collecting vascular blood flow data from sensors, the sensors being integrated with one of clothing and gear carried in a remote setting;

calculating a mean flow velocity and a systolic acceleration from the vascular blood flow data collected from the sensors;

determining a second characteristic signature based on the calculated mean flow velocity and systolic acceleration, the second characteristic signature representing blood flow in the remote setting; and

determining whether a hazard to normal blood flow exists in the remote setting by comparing the first characteristic signature and the second characteristic signature.

2. The method of assessing a hazard to normal blood flow in a remote setting according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are integrated in headgear.

3. The method of assessing a hazard to normal blood flow in a remote setting according to claim 1, wherein the vascular blood flow data is cerebrovascular blood flow data.

4. The method of assessing a hazard to normal blood flow in a remote setting according to claim 1, wherein all of the steps of the method are performed locally to the sensors by one or more devices carried on the person in the remote setting.

5. The method of assessing a hazard to normal blood flow in a remote setting according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether a hazard to normal blood flow exists is performed remotely from the sensors.

6. The method of assessing a hazard to normal blood flow in a remote setting according to claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating a pulsatility index from the vascular blood flow data collected from the sensors, wherein the step of determining a second characteristic signature is further based on the pulsatility index.