Integrated Portable Anesthesia and Sedation Monitoring Apparatus

• US 20070167694A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brainscope SPV LLC
• Original Assignee: Everest Biomedical Instruments Co. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Causevic, Elvir, Walden, Ralph, Christiansen, Christian, Krohn, Randall, Hedges, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/614,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167694A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 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 5/4821 Determining level or depth of anaesthesia A61B5/1106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms

Abstract

A system and method for performing monitoring of anesthesia and sedation in a patient includes a patient sensor integrating EEG, pulse oximetry, ECG, and AEP signal inputs, integrated analog hardware, digital hardware, and a digital signal processing system that executes a selected algorithm to process received signals representative of a patient'"'"'s condition, and which generates an index value associated with said patient condition.

Claims

7-1. The apparatus of claim 1 further including an isolated power supply module.

8-2. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said isolated power supply module includes a DC-DC converter having a switching frequency selected to minimize interference in the frequency bandwidth of signals acquired from the patient.

14. An electrode subsystem for incorporation into medical diagnostic equipment utilizing external electrodes to acquire data from a patient, comprising:

an electrode tracking system for monitoring electrode usage.

17. A method for acquiring bioelectrical signal data from a patient, comprising:

placing at least one electrode configured to receive bioelectric signals above a temple of the patient;

checking signal quality associated with each of said at least one electrodes;

acquiring bioelectric signals from said patient through said electrode for at least one interval;

processing the acquired bioelectric signals to generate an index value representative of a condition of the patient; and

displaying said generated index value.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein external signals include at least one signal selected from a set of external signals including an EEG signal, and ECG signal, and AEP signal, a breath-gas concentration, and a pulse oximetry signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of evaluating a quality of said acquired bioelectric signals;

and

displaying a indication of signal quality deficiency responsive to said quality evaluation indicative of poor signal quality.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said steps of acquiring, processing, and displaying proceed without user intervention upon placement of said at least one electrode onto the patient.

20. The method of claim 17 further including the step of storing said acquired bioelectric signals in association with a patient identification.

21. The method of claim 17 further including the step of storing said acquired bioelectric signals in a circular buffer.

22. The method of claim 21 further including the step of providing a quick-restart buffer refill responsive to signal interference.

19-3. The method of claim 17 further including the step of storing said generated index value in association with a patient identification.

23. A medical monitoring package for monitoring a patient condition during anesthesia or sedation, comprising:

a set of electrodes configured for placement on the patient, said set of electrodes adapted to receive EEG and/or AEP bioelectric signals;

an analog interface module operatively coupled to said set of electrodes, said analog interface module configured to provide gain and active common mode noise cancellation to received EEG and/or AEP bioelectric signals;

a processing module operatively coupled to said analog interface module, said processing module configured with at least one software algorithm for generating an index value representative of a patient condition from said received EEG and/or AEP bioelectric signals; and

a digital interface module operatively coupled to said processing module, said digital interface module configured to provide a display representation of said index value through a user interface.

24. The medical monitoring package of claim 23 wherein said analog interface module is coupled directly to said processing module via a digital interface.

25. The medical monitoring package of claim 23 wherein said analog interface module is coupled to said processing module via an analog interface.

26. The medical monitoring package of claim 25 wherein said analog interface is configured with a single-ended analog output.

27. The medical monitoring package of claim 25 wherein said analog interface is configured with a differential analog output.

28. The medical monitoring package of claim 23 further including at least one additional electrode configured for placement against a patient skin surface, said at least one additional electrode adapted to receive an ECG bioelectric signal;

and

wherein said processing module is further configured with said software application to utilize said received ECG bioelectric signal to generate said index value.

29. The medical monitoring package of claim 23 further including at least one auditory transducer module configured for operative placement in proximity to an ear of the patient, said auditory transducer module adapted to stimulate evoked auditory response bioelectric signals;

and

wherein said processing module is further configured with said software application to utilize said measured evoked auditory response bioelectric signals to generate said index value.

30. The medical monitoring package of claim 23 further including at least one pulse-ox sensor module for placement against a patient skin surface, said at least one pulse-ox sensor module adapted to measure at least a pulse and an oxygenation level of the patient, and inclusion of oxygenation information into the index.

31. The medical monitoring package of claim 23 further including a breath gas analysis module for receiving patient breath gases, said breath gas analysis module adapted to measure at least a level of CO₂ in said received breath gases, and inclusion of CO₂ information into the index.

32. Apparatus for portable anesthesia and sedation monitoring in a patient, comprising:

analog hardware for receiving external signals representative of a patient EEG via a dedicated EEG signal acquisition interface cable;

digital hardware configured for processing said received external signals with at least one software algorithm to generate at least one index value representative of a patient sedation state, said digital hardware further configured with a patient interface; and

wherein said digital hardware is operatively coupled to a display device for providing a visual display of said at least one index value.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said dedicated EEG signal acquisition interface cable includes a means for injecting an impedance check signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said impedance check signal injection means is configured to enable automated checking of the patient electrode/skin interface impedance.

35. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said dedicated EEG signal acquisition interface cable includes a common-mode cancellation amplifier configured to reduce signal noise levels in said acquired EEG signals.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said dedicated EEG signal acquisition interface cable is operatively coupled back to the patient with a low effective impedance to reduce signal noise caused by alternating current potentials.

37. A medical monitoring package for monitoring a patient condition during anesthesia or sedation, comprising:

a set of electrodes configured for placement on a patient, said set of electrodes adapted to receive EEG and/or AEP bioelectric signals;

an analog interface module operatively coupled to said set of electrodes, said analog interface module configured to provide gain and active common mode noise cancellation to said received EEG and/or AEP bioelectric signals a processing module operatively coupled to said analog interface module, said processing module configured with a software algorithm for generating an index value representative of a patient condition from said received EEG and/or AEP bioelectric signals; and

a digital interface module operatively coupled to said processing module, said digital interface module configured to display said index value on a multiparameter patient monitor.

38. The medical monitoring package of claim 37 wherein said analog interface module is coupled to said processing module via a digital interface.

39. The medical monitoring package of claim 37 wherein said analog interface module is coupled to said processing module via an analog interface.

40. The medical monitoring package of claim 39 wherein said analog interface is configured with a single-ended analog output.

41. The medical monitoring package of claim 39 wherein said analog interface is configured with a differential analog output.

42. The medical monitoring package of claim 37 further including at least one additional electrode configured for placement against a patient skin surface, said at least one additional electrode adapted to receive an ECG bioelectric signal;

and

wherein said processing module is further configured with said software application to utilize said received ECG bioelectric signal to generate said index value.

43. The medical monitoring package of claim 37 further including at least one auditory transducer module configured for operative placement in proximity to an ear of the patient, said auditory transducer module adapted to stimulate evoked auditory response bioelectric signals;

and

wherein said processing module is further configured with said software application to utilize said measured evoked auditory response bioelectric signals to generate said index value.

44. The medical monitoring package of claim 37 further including at least one pulse-ox sensor module for placement against a patient skin surface, said at least one pulse-ox sensor module adapted to measure at least a pulse and an oxygenation level of the patient, and inclusion of oxygenation information into the index.

45. The medical monitoring package of claim 37 further including a breath gas analysis module for receiving patient breath gases, said breath gas analysis module adapted to measure at least a level of CO₂ in said received breath gases, and inclusion of CO₂ information into the index.