Methods and devices for relieving stress

• US 20050288601A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helicor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Helicor, Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Michael, Forbes, Adam, Rhys, Kirstin
• Granted Patent: US 7,691,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/513
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/288 for artificial respiration or heart massage
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Easy to use, cost-effective methods and devices for evaluating and treating stress and thereby disorders caused or exacerbated by stress are provided. More particularly methods and devices for identifying RSA waves during respiration which provide a subject with near real-time RSA wave information are provided. This information can be used in biofeedback settings to assist subjects in reducing levels of stress by achieving rhythmic breathing patterns.

Claims

1. A method of identifying at least one RSA wave in a subject comprising:

recording heart rate related intervals over time; and

analyzing heart rate related intervals sufficient to delineate at least one individual RSA wave, wherein said delineation includes identifying at least one transition point in the at least one individual RSA wave.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heart rate related interval is a pp interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heart rate related interval is a rr interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transition point is used to determine wave depth and the wave depth is used to determine at least one valley point or peak point in the at least one individual RSA wave.

5. A method of reducing stress in a human subject comprising:

providing a subject with near real-time RSA wave information, wherein said information is derived from recording more than one heart rate related intervals of the subject; and

analyzing the more than one heart rate related interval of the subject sufficient to delineate at least one individual RSA wave, wherein said delineation includes identifying at least one transition point in the at least one individual RSA wave.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the heart rate related interval is a pp interval.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the heart rate related interval is a r-r interval.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said delineation comprises the identification of at least one top point and at least two bottom points.

9. A method for identifying rhythmic breathing comprising:

comparing at least two consecutive RSA waves; and

determining when there is a small variation in at least one wave feature of the at least two consecutive RSA waves.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wave feature is selected from the group consisting of wavelength, frequency, amplitude, peak to peak time, and peak placement time, alone or any combination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wave feature is wavelength and the small variation is 20% or less relative mean deviation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wave feature is frequency and the small variation is 20% or less relative mean deviation.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the wave feature is amplitude and the small variation is 20% or less relative mean deviation.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the wave feature is peak to peak time and the small is 20% or less relative mean deviation.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the wave feature is peak placement time and the small is 20% or less relative mean deviation.

16. A handheld, portable biofeedback device for reducing stress in a human subject comprising:

a housing;

a PPG sensor disposed in the housing, wherein the PPG sensor generates data from the human subject;

a control system coupled to the PPG sensor; and

a display screen,

wherein the control system is configured to process data from the human subject for output to the display screen, the output data providing the human subject with information associated with the human subject'"'"'s stress level; and

wherein the housing, PPG sensor, control system and display screen form an integrated structure.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the housing includes a power source.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein power is provided by an A/C source.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein during respiration of a human subject said device is configured to record multiple heart rate related intervals of the subject;

and

analyze heart rate related intervals sufficient to delineate at least one individual RSA wave.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the heart rate related interval is a pp interval.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the heart rate related interval is a r-r interval.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein said delineation includes identifying a set of transition points in each individual RSA wave.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the set of transition points includes at least one top point and at least two bottom points.

24. The device of claim 16, further comprising a breathing metronome capable of being activated by a subject, wherein the breathing metronome is programmed to deactivate after a predetermined period of time.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the device further comprises a breathing metronome capable of being activated by a subject, wherein the breathing metronome is programmed to deactivate after a predetermined period of time.

26. The device of claim 16, wherein the device is configured to extract information related to respiration of a subject.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the information related to respiration includes rate, rhythm and volume.

28. A method of detecting erroneous data relating to RSA wave delineation comprising:

identifying at least 2 consecutive heart rate related intervals having an IBI time less than a predetermined threshold or a threshold derived from a heart rate related interval set;

calculating a range for the IBI times of the at least 2 consecutive heart rate related intervals; and

comparing each subsequent heart rate related interval with the calculated range to determine if it is within said range.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the heart rate related interval is a pp interval.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the heart rate related interval is a rr interval.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the IBI time is less than 500 ms.

32. A method of correcting erroneous data relating to RSA wave identification comprising:

identifying a heart rate related interval which is both not within a predetermined range and has an IBI time greater than a threshold;

calculating a corrected heart rate related interval wherein

if the first heart rate related interval is less than the predetermined range, adding subsequent heart rate related intervals to the first heart rate related interval until the sum of said intervals is within or above the predetermined range;

if the first heart rate related interval or sum of said intervals is greater than the predetermined range and not divisible by an integer, adding subsequent heart rate related intervals to the first heart rate related intervals until the sum of said intervals is divisible by an integer such that the quotient is within the predetermined range; and

creating a corrected RSA wave based on the corrected heart rate related interval.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the heart rate related interval is a pp interval.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the heart rate related interval is a rr interval.

35. A method of adjusting scaling on the display of a portable biofeedback device during rhythmic respiration of a subject comprising:

determining the highest amplitude of RSA waves over time; and

maintaining the scaling to correspond to the largest wave formed during respiration.

36. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising means for causing a computer to:

record heart rate related intervals over time; and

analyze heart rate related intervals sufficient to delineate at least one individual RSA wave, wherein said delineation includes identifying a set of transition points in each individual RSA wave.

37. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for identifying at least one RSA wave in a subject comprising:

recording heart rate related intervals over time; and

analyzing heart rate related intervals sufficient to delineate at least one individual RSA wave, wherein said delineation includes identifying a set of transition points in each individual RSA wave.

38. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising means for causing a computer to:

compare at least two consecutive RSA waves; and

determine when there is a small variation in at least one wave feature of the at least two consecutive RSA waves.

39. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for identifying rhythmic breathing comprising:

comparing at least two consecutive RSA waves; and

determining when there is a small variation in at least one wave feature of the at least two consecutive RSA waves.