Method and apparatus for monitoring dynamic cardiovascular function using n-dimensional representations of critical functions

• US 20050010117A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Westenskow, Dwayne R., Syroid, Noah, Drews, Frank, Agutter, James, Strayer, David Lee, Zhang, Yinqi, Holmes, Michael E., Albert, Robert William, Bermudez, Julio C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,413,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus and device for the monitoring, diagnosis and evaluation of the state of a dynamic system is disclosed. This method and system provides the processing means for receiving sensed and/or simulated data, converting such data into a displayable object format and displaying such objects in a manner such that the interrelationships between the respective variables can be correlated and identified by a user. This invention provides for the rapid cognitive grasp of the overall state of a critical function with respect to a dynamic system. The system provides for displayed objects, which change in real-time to show the changes of the functions of the system. It is a highly flexible system which works with a wide variety of applications, including biological systems, environmental systems, engineering systems, economic systems, mechanical systems, chemical systems and the like. The device of this invention is adapted specifically to providing objects within a frame associated with other objects in a reference grid to provide a graphical representation of cardiovascular function.

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic display for providing an integrated graphic representation of a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system for diagnostic purposes, comprising:

a plurality of blood flow graphic objects representing a sequential anatomic ordering of blood flow, the plurality of blood flow graphic objects being based on multiple diagnostic measurements made from the patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system; and

a heart graphic object representing a patient'"'"'s heart status, the heart graphic object being displayed in sequential anatomical ordering with respect to the blood flow graphic objects.

2. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 1, wherein the heart graphic object and the plurality of blood flow graphic objects have volumetric reference frames.

3. A medical diagnostic display for providing an integrated graphic representation of a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system for diagnostic purposes, comprising:

a venous object configured to represent a sequential anatomical ordering of venous blood flow;

a heart object representing a patient'"'"'s heart status, the heart object being displayed in sequential anatomical ordering with respect to the venous object; and

an arterial object in anatomical association with the heart object, the arterial object being configured to represent oxygen saturation of arterial blood hemoglobin.

4. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 3, wherein the medical diagnostic display is configured to depict a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular processes in an anatomical ordering.

5. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 3, further comprising a vascular tone object, associated with the medical diagnostic display, the vascular tone object being configured to represent vascular tone in the pulmonary and systemic cardiovascular systems.

6. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 5, wherein the vascular tone object represents resistance of blood flow in systemic arteries.

7. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 5, wherein the vascular tone object represents resistance of blood flow in a pulmonary system.

8. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 3, wherein the venous object further comprises a plurality of venous objects.

9. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 8, wherein the plurality of venous objects further includes a first venous object representing venous blood returning from capillaries into a vena cava.

10. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 8, wherein the plurality of venous objects further includes a second venous object representing a flow of blood from a right heart through pulmonary arteries.

11. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 3, wherein the heart object is a represented as a spherical object.

12. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 11, wherein the heart object is animated to indicate a heart rate.

13. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 11, wherein the heart object is decreased in scale to represent low stroke volume.

14. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 11, wherein the heart object is increased in scale to represent an increased stroke volume.

15. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 11, wherein the heart object changes shape to represent changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform.

16. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 11, further comprising an aorta object which represents pumping of oxygenated blood to systemic tissues.

17. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 3, wherein the plurality of venous objects further comprises a lung marker.

18. A system for organizing a plurality of diagnostic data for a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system in a graphic display, wherein the patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system has a direction of blood flow with an upstream and a downstream:

a venous graphic object contained within a first reference frame that represents a normal status of the venous graphic object in the patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system;

a cardiac graphic object oriented downstream from the venous graphic object and representing a patient'"'"'s heart status, the cardiac graphic object being contained within a circular reference frame that represents a heart'"'"'s normal status; and

an arterial graphic object located downstream from the cardiac graphic object, configured to represent oxygenated blood flow in relation to the cardiac graphic object, the venous graphic object being surrounded by a second reference frame that represents a normal status of the arterial object.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein the heart graphic object is a represented as a spherical object.

20. A medical diagnostic display for providing an integrated representation of a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system for diagnostic purposes, comprising:

a vena cava object configured to represent a venous blood flow from systemic capillaries into a vena cava;

a right heart marker adjacent to the vena cava object, the right heart object representing pumping of deoxygenated blood;

a pulmonary arteries object depicting the flow of deoxygenated blood from the right heart;

a lung marker adjacent the pulmonary arteries object, representing oxygenation of blood from the pulmonary arteries;

a pulmonary vein object adjacent to the lung marker and representing flow of oxygenated blood;

a heart object representing a patient'"'"'s heart status, the heart object being displayed in anatomical ordering with respect to the pulmonary vein object; and

an aorta object configured to represent oxygenated blood flow from a patient'"'"'s heart to systemic tissues.

21. A medical diagnostic display for providing an integrated graphic representation of a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system for diagnostic purposes, comprising:

a preload graphic object configured to depict filling pressures into a left ventricle of the heart;

a contractility graphic object representing a patient'"'"'s heart status, the contractility object being displayed in sequential anatomical ordering with respect to the preload graphic object; and

an afterload graphic object in association with the contractility object, the afterload graphic object being configured to represent left ventricle force when ejecting blood.

22. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 21, further comprising volume statuses being incorporated into the graphic representation of the preload graphic object, the contractility graphic object, and the afterload graphic object.

23. A medical diagnostic display as in claim 21, further comprising oxygen saturation statuses being incorporated into the graphic representation of the preload graphic object, the contractility graphic object, and the afterload graphic object.