RXc graph and RXc Z-score graph methods

• US 20040167423A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Antonio Piccoli, Luana Pillon
• Original Assignee: Antonio Piccoli, Luana Pillon
• Inventors: Pillon, Luana, Piccoli, Antonio
• Application Number:
  US10/740,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167423A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units

Abstract

Methods and systems for displaying dimensionless vectors for bio-electric impedance measurements are provided. Systems and methods for displaying information as an RXc score graph are provided. Methods and systems for plotting Z(Xc) versus Z(R) for one or more patient or patient population and viewing the resulting Z(Xc)/Z(R) graph are provided.

Claims

1. A method of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, the method comprising:

determining Z(R) and Z(Xc) for a patient; and

,

plotting Z(R) and Z(Xc) on an RXc Z-score graph.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein Z(R) and Z(Xc) are determined by taking impedance readings for R and Xc for the patient and subtracting a mean value for R and Xc, respectively, for a reference population, from the impedance readings R and Xc, respectively, and dividing the resulting values by the standard deviation for R and Xc, respectively, in the reference population.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein R and Xc are measured on an impedance plethysmograph.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the impedance plethysmograph is a single frequency plethysmograph.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the impedance plethysmograph is a multi-frequency plethysmograph.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the magnitude of the impedance is equal to the square root of (R²+Xc²) and the impedance has a phase angle equal to arctan Xc/R and a length equal to the square root of (R²+Xc²).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises a whole body impedance measurement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises an impedance measurement of a portion of a whole body.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the RXc Z-score graph comprises one or more ellipse showing deviation from an absolute mean for a patient population.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the RXc Z-score graph comprises three tolerence ellipses showing deviation from an absolute mean for a patient population at 50%, 75% and 95% deviation from mean.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein placement of Z(R) and Z(Xc) for the patient on the graph provides diagnostic information for the patient.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein plotting Z(R) and Z(Xc) on the RXc Z-score graph provides an indication of whether the patient has more or less soft tissue or is more or less hydrated than a mean for a reference population.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication is correlated to one or more of:

leanness, obesity, dehydration, anasarca, whether the patient is athletic, whether the patient is cachectic, whether the patient is normal, or any combination thereof.

14. A method of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, the method comprising:

determining R and Xc for a patient;

converting R and Xc into dimensionless numbers; and

,

plotting the resulting dimensionless numbers on a graph.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein R and Xc are determined by measuring them on an impedance plethysmograph.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein R and Xc are converted into dimensionless numbers by subtracting a population mean for R and Xc, respectively, from R and Xc, respectively, and dividing the resulting number by the standard deviation for R and Xc, respectively, in the population.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the graph comprises one or more standardized ellipse showing deviation from an absolute mean of a dimensionless number for R and Xc for a patient population.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the graph comprises three tolerence ellipses showing deviation from an absolute mean for a patient population at 50%, 75% and 95% deviation from mean.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the graph of standardized dimensionless numbers is an RXc Z-score graph.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein plotting the dimensionless numbers for R and Xc on the RXc Z-score graph provides an indication of whether the patient has more or less soft tissue or is more or less hydrated than a mean for a reference population.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the indication is correlated to one or more of:

leanness, obesity, dehydration, anasarca, whether the patient is athletic, whether the patient is cachectic, whether the patient is normal, or any combination thereof.

22. A method of performing a graphical bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, the method comprising:

plotting Z(Xc) versus Z(R) for one or more patient or patient population; and

,

viewing the resulting Z(Xc)/Z(R) graph.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein Z(Xc) versus Z(R) is plotted by a computer.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein Z(R) and Z(Xc) are determined for the patient or population by taking impedance readings for R and Xc for the patient or the population and subtracting a mean value for R and Xc, respectively, for a reference population, from the impedance readings R and Xc, respectively, and dividing the resulting values by the standard deviation for R and Xc, respectively, in the reference population.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein R and Xc are measured on an impedance plethysmograph.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein plotting Z(R) and Z(Xc) on the RXc Z-score graph provides an indication of whether the patient has more or less soft tissue or is more or less hydrated than a mean for a reference population.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the indication is correlated to one or more of:

leanness, obesity, dehydration, anasarca, whether the patient is athletic, whether the patient is cachectic, whether the patient is normal, or any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the graph is viewed on a user-viewable display operably coupled to a computer.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the graph is viewed on a user-viewable display operably coupled to a computer.

29. A method of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, the method comprising:

determining a dimensionless measurement for R and a dimensionless measurement for Xc; and

,

plotting the resulting dimensionless measurement for R against the dimensionless measurement for Xc.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein R and Xc are determined by measuring them on an impedance plethysmograph prior to said determining step.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining comprises converting R and Xc into dimensionless measurements by subtracting a population mean for R and Xc, respectively, from R and Xc, respectively, and dividing the resulting number by the standard deviation for R and Xc, respectively, in the population.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the dimensionless measurements are plotted against each other using a computer.

34. A bioelectrical impedance vector analysis system comprising an RXc Z-score graph and a user-viewable display displaying the RXc Z-score graph.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the RXc Z score graph is generated by or embodied in system software.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the system comprises a computer comprising system software that correlates the RXc Z score graph to whether a patient coupled to the system is one or more of:

lean, obese, suffering from dehydration, suffering from anasarca, athletic, cachectic, or normal.

37. The system of claim 34, further comprising electrical leads configured to be placed in contact with the skin of a patient.

38. A bioelectrical impedance vector analysis system comprising a graph of a measure of Xc versus a measure of R, wherein Xc and R are dimensionless;

and,

a user-viewable display displaying the graph.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the graph is an RXc Z-score graph.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the graph is generated by or embodied in system software.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein the system comprises a computer comprising system software that correlates the graph to whether a patient coupled to the system is one or more of:

lean, obese, suffering from dehydration, suffering from anasarca, athletic, cachectic, or normal.

42. The system of claim 38, further comprising electrical leads configured to be placed in contact with the skin of a patient.