Measurement and treatment system and method

• US 20060089546A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hershey, John Erik, Tomlinson, Harold Woodruff Jr., Mahony, Michael Joseph, Powell, William Eugene III, Forman, Glenn Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1464 specially adapted for foetal tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0621 Hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice treatment

Abstract

A non-intrusive physiological data measurement system and method, as well as an optically induced treatment system, are described. The measurement system includes a monitoring mechanism that includes light emitter modules capable of emitting light at at least two wavelengths. The light emitted from the light emitter modules is transmitted through a subject and to a light receiving mechanism, such as an optical sensor. Physiological data is taken from the received light. The system also can ascertain movement of the subject by obtaining an initial outline of the subject and comparing that outline with a subsequently obtained outline. A therapeutic optic system includes a non-adhering light emitting mechanism for providing light at therapeutic wavelengths.

Claims

1. A physiological data measurement system, comprising:

a non-adhering signal emitting mechanism, comprising;

a monitoring mechanism configured to monitor physiological data of and provide support to a subject; and

at least one signal emitter module within the monitoring mechanism; and

a signal receiving mechanism configured to receive signals emitted from said at least one signal emitter module.

2. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein the physiological data is oximetric data.

3. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein said at least one signal emitter module comprises a plurality of electromagnetic sensors.

4. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein said at least one signal emitter module comprises one or more light emitter modules.

5. The measurement system of claim 4, wherein said one or more light emitter modules comprises a plurality of optical emitters, each configured to emit light at a different wavelength from the others.

6. The measurement system of claim 5, wherein each said optical emitter comprises a VCSEL.

7. The measurement system of claim 5, wherein each said optical emitter comprises a LED.

8. The measurement system of claim 4, wherein said signal receiving mechanism comprises an optical sensor.

9. The measurement system of claim 8, wherein said optical sensor comprises a CCD camera.

10. The measurement system of claim 8, further comprising a light distributor positioned between a single one of said one or more light emitter modules and said optical sensor.

11. The measurement system of claim 10, wherein said single one of said one or more light emitter modules comprises an optical emitter configured to emit light at a plurality of wavelengths.

12. The measurement system of claim 11, wherein said optical emitter comprises a broadband light source.

13. The measurement system of claim 12, further comprising:

a lens;

a rotating filter wheel;

a plurality of band pass filters; and

a detector.

14. The measurement system of claim 8, wherein said optical sensor comprises:

a lens;

a beam splitter;

first and second band pass filters, said first band pass filter having a band pass centered on a first wavelength and said second band pass filter having a band pass centered on a second wavelength; and

first and second detectors, said first detector configured to receive light of the first wavelength from said first band pass filter and said second detector configured to receive light of the second wavelength from said second band pass filter.

15. The measurement system of claim 8, wherein said optical sensor is positioned such that light emitted from the one or more light emitter modules is transmitted into a subject and diffused forward prior to being received at said optical sensor.

16. The measurement system of claim 8, wherein said optical sensor is positioned such that light emitted from the one or more light emitting modules is transmitted into a subject and diffused back to be received at said optical sensor.

17. The measurement system of claim 8, further comprising a second optical sensor.

18. The measurement system of claim 8, wherein said optical sensor comprises a two-dimensional light sensor.

19. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring mechanism comprises a pad incorporating said at least one signal emitter module.

20. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring mechanism comprises a fabric incorporating said at least one signal emitter module.

21. A treatment system, comprising:

a non-adhering light emitting mechanism, comprising;

an optical treatment array mechanism configured to provide optical treatment to and provide support for a subject; and

at least one light emitter module within the optical treatment array, wherein said at least one light emitter module is configured to emit a light at a therapeutic wavelength.

22. The treatment system of claim 21, wherein said at least one light emitter module is configured to emit the light at a wavelength effective to activate light-sensitive chemotherapy drugs within a subject.

23. The treatment system of claim 21, wherein said at least one light emitter module is configured to emit the light at a wavelength effective to react with cytochromes within a subject to stimulate tissue regeneration.

24. The treatment system of claim 21, wherein said at least one light emitter module is configure to emit fluorescent light for the treatment of hyperbiliruben.

25. The treatment system of claim 21, wherein said optical treatment array mechanism comprises a pad.

26. The treatment system of claim 21, wherein said optical treatment array mechanism comprises a fabric.

27. An incubating system, comprising:

an incubator; and

a non-adhering physiological data measurement system configured to measure physiological data of and provide support to a subject.

28. The incubating system of claim 27, wherein said non-adhering physiological data measurement system comprises:

a light emitting mechanism, comprising;

a monitoring mechanism; and

one or more light emitter modules dispersed within the monitoring mechanism, each said light emitter module being configured to emit light at at least two wavelengths; and

a light receiving mechanism configured to receive light emitted from said one or more light emitter modules.

29. The incubating system of claim 28, wherein said monitoring mechanism comprises a pad.

30. The incubating system of claim 28, wherein said monitoring mechanism comprises a fabric.

31. The incubating system of claim 28, wherein each said light emitter module comprises a plurality of optical emitters.

32. The incubating system of claim 28, wherein said light receiving mechanism comprises an optical sensor.

33. The incubating system of claim 32, further comprising a light distributor positioned between a single one of said one or more light emitter modules and said optical sensor.

34. The incubating system of claim 33, wherein said single one of said one or more light emitter modules comprises an optical emitter configured to emit light at a plurality of wavelengths.

35. The incubating system of claim 34, wherein said optical emitter comprises a broadband light source.

36. The incubating system of claim 35, further comprising:

a lens;

a rotating filter wheel;

a plurality of band pass filters; and

a detector.

37. The incubating system of claim 32, wherein said optical sensor comprises:

a lens;

first and second band pass filters, said first band pass filter having a band pass centered on a first wavelength and said second band pass filter having a band pass centered on a second wavelength; and

first and second detectors, said first detector configured to receive light of the first wavelength from said first band pass filter and said second detector configured to receive light of the second wavelength from said second band pass filter.

38. The incubating system of claim 32, wherein said optical sensor is positioned such that light emitted from the plurality of light emitter modules is transmitted into the subject and diffused forward prior to being received at said optical sensor.

39. The incubating system of claim 32, wherein said optical sensor is positioned such that light emitted from the plurality of light emitter modules is transmitted into the subject and diffused back to be received at said optical sensor.

40. An incubating system, comprising:

a light emitting mechanism, comprising;

a monitoring pad configured to monitor physiological data of and provide support for a subject; and

a single light emitter module within the monitoring pad and comprising a broadband light source; and

a light receiving mechanism configured to receive light emitted from said broadband light source.

41. The incubating system of claim 40, wherein said light receiving mechanism comprises an optical sensor.

42. The incubating system of claim 41, wherein said optical sensor comprises:

a lens;

a rotating filter wheel;

a plurality of band pass filters; and

a detector.

43. The incubating system of claim 41, wherein said optical sensor is positioned such that light emitted from the plurality of light emitter modules is transmitted into the subject and diffused forward prior to being received at said optical sensor.

44. The incubating system of claim 41, wherein said optical sensor is positioned such that light emitted from the plurality of light emitter modules is transmitted into the subject and diffused back to be received at said optical sensor.

45. A light emitting mechanism for use in a physiological data measurement device, comprising:

a non-adhering monitoring mechanism configured to measure physiological data of and provide support for a subject; and

one or more light emitter modules within the monitoring mechanism, each said light emitter module being configured to emit light at at least two wavelengths.

46. The light emitting mechanism of claim 45, wherein each of said one or more light emitter module comprises a plurality of optical emitters.

47. A method for obtaining physiological data measurements, comprising:

determining an outline of a subject through a sequential transmission of light from a plurality of light emitter modules;

sequentially turning on and off individual ones of the plurality of light emitter modules that are within the outline of the subject; and

collecting data and estimating physiological data values.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein each of said plurality of light emitter modules comprises at least two optical emitters, each said optical emitter configured to emit light at a different wavelength.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said sequentially turning on and off step comprises sequentially turning on and off individual ones of the plurality of light emitter modules that correspond to a select region within the outline of the subject.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said sequentially turning on and off step is repeated for additional select regions within the outline of the subject.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising re-determining the outline of the subject after said collecting step.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the estimating physiological data values comprises estimating oximetric values.

53. A method for ascertaining movement of a neonatal infant being monitored, comprising:

determining an outline of a neonatal infant through a sequential transmission of light from a plurality of light emitter modules;

collecting initial data on the initial outline of the neonatal infant; and

then, re-determining a subsequent outline of the neonatal infant through another sequential transmission of light from the plurality of light emitter modules to ascertain whether the subsequent outline differs from the initial outline.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said re-determining comprises collecting subsequent data on the subsequent outline of the neonatal infant and comparing the subsequent data to the initial data.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising generating a report when the subsequent outline differs from the initial outline.