Mobile Diagnosis Device

• US 20080200823A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingo Flore
• Original Assignee: Ingo Flore
• Inventors: Cho, Ok Kyung, Kim, Yoon Ok
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/521
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7214 using signal cancellation, e.g. based on input of two identical physiological sensors spaced apart, or based on two signals derived from the same sensor, for different optical wavelengths

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile diagnosis device comprised of an ECG unit (1) to record an ECG signal (55), with the ECG unit (1) being connected or connectible to two or more ECG electrodes (27, 28) to dissipate electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s body, and comprised of a pulsoximetry unit (2) for simultaneous recording of a volume pulse signal (56), with the pulsoximetry unit (2) comprising at least one light source (17, 18) and at least one light sensor (20) for optical measurement of blood perfusion in the vascular system of a patient'"'"'s body tissue, and comprised of a program-controlled evaluation unit (4) to evaluate the ECG signal (55) and the volume pulse signal (56). To provide such a diagnosis device that is suitable for auto-diagnosis of cardio-vascular diseases, the present invention proposes that the evaluation unit (4) be appropriately equipped to allow for

• • automatic recognition of R peaks (57) in the ECG signal (55),
  • automatic recognition of extreme levels (58) in the volume pulse signal (56),
  • and for determination of the time difference (60) between an R peak (57) and a successive extreme level (58) in the volume pulse signal (56). Furthermore, the evaluation unit (4) can be appropriately equipped to allow for determination of the time difference (61) between the main and secondary peak values (58, 59) in the volume pulse signal (56).

Claims

1. A mobile diagnosis device comprised of an ECG unit (1) to record an ECG signal (55), with the ECG unit (1) being connected or connectible to two or more ECG electrodes (27, 28) to dissipate electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s body, and comprised of a pulsoximetry unit (2) for simultaneous recording of a volume pulse signal (56), with the pulsoximetry unit (2) comprising at least one light source (17, 18) and at least one light sensor (20) for optical measurement of blood perfusion in the vascular system of a patient'"'"'s body tissue, and comprised of a program-controlled evaluation unit (4) to evaluate the ECG signal (55) and the volume pulse signal (56),

wherein said evaluation unit (4) is appropriately equipped to allow for

automatic recognition of R peaks (57) in the ECG signal (55),

automatic recognition of extreme levels (58) in the volume pulse signal (56),

and for determination of the time difference (60) between an R peak (57) in the ECG signal (55) and a successive extreme value (58) in the volume pulse signal (56).

2. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit (4) is furthermore appropriately equipped to allow for

determination of blood oxygen saturation from the volume pulse signal (56),

determination of the ventricular heart frequency rate from the ECG signal (55),

and/or for determination of the plethysmographic heart frequency from the volume pulse signal (56).

3. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit (4) is appropriately equipped to allow for automatic recognition of main and secondary peak values (58, 59) in the volume pulse signal (56), for determination of the amplitudes of the main and secondary peak values (5859), and for determination of the time difference (61) between the main and secondary peak values (58, 59).

4. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, comprising sensors (53) to measure a patient'"'"'s body temperature, the ambient temperature, and or the humidity in air.

5. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, comprising a memory unit (6) to store the parameters determined by means of the evaluation unit (4) during a measurement while simultaneously storing the date and/or time of the measurement.

6. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, comprising a diagnosis unit (5) which is appropriately equipped to allow for determination of the status of the cardio-vascular system from the parameters determined by means of the evaluation unit (4).

7. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 5, wherein the diagnosis unit (5) is furthermore appropriately equipped to determine trends concerning the status of a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system from a change in the parameters stored by means of the memory unit (6).

8. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 6, wherein the diagnosis unit (5) is appropriately equipped to compute an elasticity parameter from the time difference (60) between an R peak (57) in the ECG signal (55) and a successive extreme level (58) in the volume pulse signal (56), with the elasticity parameter representing a measure for the elasticity of a patient'"'"'s blood vessels.

9. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, comprising an interface (8) to link the diagnosis device to a computer.

10. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, comprising a display unit (7) to display the ECG signal (55), the volume pulse signal (56), and the parameters determined by means of the evaluation unit (4).

11. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, comprising a casing (66) that accommodates the ECG unit (1), the pulsoximetry unit (2), and the evaluation unit (4).

12. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 11, wherein the ECG electrodes (27, 28) as well as the light source (17, 18) and the light sensor (20) of the pulsoximetry unit (2) are arranged at the exterior side of said casing (66) in such a manner that a patient can touch a first ECG electrode (27) with one hand and a second ECG electrode (28) with the other hand, while touching the light sensor (20) at the same time.

13. A diagnosis device as defined in claim 11, wherein the light source (17, 18) and the light sensor (20) are accommodated in a measuring head separated from said casing (66) in such a manner that the light sensor (20) can be put on at arbitrary measuring points on a patient'"'"'s body.

15. A computer software, more particularly for a diagnosis device as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer software covers instructions

for automatic recognition of R peaks (57) in an ECG signal (55),

for automatic recognition of extreme levels (58) in a volume pulse signal (56),

and for determination of the time difference (60) between an R peak (57) in the ECG signal (55) and a successive extreme level (58) in the volume pulse signal (56).

16. A computer software as defined in claim 15, wherein it covers instructions for computation of the pulse wave velocity (PWG) from the time difference (60) between an R peak (57) in the ECG signal (55) and a successive extreme level (58) in the volume pulse signal (56).

17. A computer software as defined in claim 15, wherein it covers instructions for automatic recognition of the main and secondary peak values (58, 59) in the volume pulse signal (56), for determination of the time difference (61) between the main and secondary peak values (58, 59), and for computation of a second pulse wave velocity from the time difference between the main and secondary peak values (58, 59).

14. A method for recording and evaluating a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular parameters, wherein

an ECG signal (55) is captured by means of an ECG unit (1) which is connected with two or more ECG electrodes (27, 28) for dissipation of electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s body,

a volume pulse signal (56) is simultaneously captured by a pulsoximetry unit (2) which is comprised of at least one light source (17, 18) and at least one light sensor (20) for optical measurement of blood perfusion in the vascular system of a patient'"'"'s body tissue,

and wherein the ECG signal (55) and the volume pulse signal (56) are evaluated by means of a program controlled evaluation unit (4),

wherein by means of said evaluation unit (4)

R peaks (57) in the ECG signal (55) are automatically recognized,

extreme levels (58) in the volume pulse signal (56) are automatically recognized,

and that the time difference (60) between an R peak (57) in the ECG signal (55) and the successive extreme level (58) in the volume pulse signal (56) is determined.