DEPRESSION DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20090149778A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Harris, Matthew, Perkuhn, Micheal, Norra, Christine, Naujokat, Elke
• Application Number:
  US11/719,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety

Abstract

The present invention relates to a depression detection system (2). Furthermore the invention relates to a method of detecting depressions and to a computer program. In order to provide an objective measure for a depression as well as for a relapse into depression, a depression detection system is suggested, the system comprising a patient-based device (2) using an actimetric sensor unit (3) adapted to measure a patient'"'"'s activity and further comprising a signal processing unit (4) adapted to obtain a depression detection result based on the measured activity of the patient.

Claims

1. A depression detection system, the system comprising

a patient-based device (2) comprising an actimetric sensor unit (3) adapted to measure a patient'"'"'s activity and

a signal-processing unit (4, 4′

) adapted to obtain a depression detection result based on the measured activity of the patient.

2. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal-processing unit (4, 4′

) is adapted to obtain the depression detection result from a comparison between the measured patient'"'"'s activity and an activity profile.

3. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit (4, 4′

) is adapted to obtain the depression detection result from a statistical analysis of the measured patient'"'"'s activity.

4. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patient-based device (2) further comprises an interface unit (5) adapted to transfer measuring data to an external signal-processing unit (4′

) via a data communication link (7).

5. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal-processing unit (4) is part of the patient-based device (2), and the interface unit (5) is adapted to provide a signal to the patient in dependence on the patient'"'"'s activity.

6. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patient-based device (2) further comprises a display unit (12) for providing a signal to the patient in dependence on the depression detection result.

7. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actimetric sensor unit (3) comprises an accelerometer.

8. The system (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the accelerometer is adapted to obtain information about the spatial position of the patient'"'"'s body.

9. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actimetric sensor unit (3) is implemented in a wrist-worn, ankle-worn, or torso-worn device.

10. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actimetric sensor unit (3) is integrated into the patient'"'"'s clothing.

11. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal-processing unit (4) is adapted to produce the depression detection result using additional patient-related data.

12. The system (2) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an ECG sensor unit (9) and/or an EMG sensor unit and/or an EOG sensor unit.

13. A method of detecting depression, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a patient'"'"'s activity with an actimetric sensor unit (3), and

obtaining a depression detection result on the basis of the measured activity of the patient.

14. A computer program comprising computer instructions for measuring a patient'"'"'s activity by means of an actimetric sensor unit (3) and computer instructions for obtaining a depression detection result on the basis of the measured activity of the patient when said computer instructions are carried out in a computer (11).