System and Method for Detecting and Predicting a Syncope Event

• US 20080228088A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Muhlsteff, Jens, Perkuhn, Michael, Aubert, Xavier
• Application Number:
  US12/064,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (1) and method for detecting and predicting a syncope event. Furthermore the invention relates to a computer program (13) to be executed in a computer (5, 17), said computer (5, 17) being part of a system (1) for detecting and predicting a syncope event. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and reliable technique for detecting and predicting the occurrence of syncope events. This object is achieved according to the invention by a method of detecting and predicting a syncope event, the method comprising the steps of continuously obtaining (100) the pulse wave patterns (3) from the upper vascular system of the user (4), determining (101) from the pulse wave patterns (3) a measure (21) of the blood flow to the user'"'"'s brain, and generating (103) an alarm signal (6), if the blood flow measure indicates the future occurrence of a syncope.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and predicting a syncope event, the method comprising the steps of:

continuously obtaining (100) the pulse wave patterns (3) of a user (4),

determining (101) from the pulse wave patterns (3) a measure (21) of the blood flow to the user'"'"'s brain, and

generating (103) an alarm signal (6), if the blood flow measure (21) indicates the future occurrence of a syncope.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in order to obtain the pulse wave patterns (3) the pulse signal of one of the carotid or subclavian arteries is continuously monitored.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the determining of the measure (21) of the blood flow is carried out based both on the heart rate and the stroke volume of the user 4.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the alarm signal (6) is generated, if the blood flow falls below a given critical level.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in case the alarm signal (6) is generated, an alarm sound (23) is emitted to the user (4) and/or an alarm message (24) is transmitted to a remote receiving unit (25).

6. A system (1) for detecting and predicting a syncope event, the system (1) comprising:

a sensor unit (2) adapted for continuously obtaining the pulse wave patterns (3) from the upper vascular system of a user (4),

a processing unit (5) adapted for determining from the pulse wave patterns (3) a measure (21) of the blood flow to the user'"'"'s brain, and further adapted for generating an alarm signal (6), if the blood flow measure (21) indicates the future occurrence of a syncope.

7. The system (1) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the sensor unit (2) comprises a passive sensor (7), in particular a piezo-foil transducer adapted for measuring surface vibrations of the user'"'"'s carotid arterial pulse.

8. The system (1) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the sensor (7) is located on the carotid artery, preferably in the upper neck region (8) of the user (4) or on the subclavian artery in the shoulder region (10) of the user (4).

9. A computer program (13) to be executed in a computer (5, 17), said computer (5, 17) being part of a system (1) for detecting and predicting a syncope event, said system (1) comprising a sensor unit (2) adapted for continuously obtaining the pulse wave patterns (3) from the upper vascular system of a user (4), said program (13) comprising computer instructions to determining from the pulse wave patterns (3) a measure (21) of the blood flow to the user'"'"'s brain, when the computer program is executed in the computer (5, 17).

10. The computer program (13) as claimed in claim 9, said program (13) comprising computer instructions to generate an alarm signal (6), if the blood flow measure (21) indicates the future occurrence of a syncope, when the computer program (13) is executed in the computer (5, 17).