Determination of Sympathetic Activity

• US 20090216143A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Kinnunen, Hannu, Kiviniemi, Antti, Hautala, Arto, Jaatinen, Jukka, Tulppo, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/519
• 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 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing

Abstract

An apparatus, a method and a computer program for the determination of sympathetic activity are disclosed. The method comprises: receiving heart activity data of a person; determining a recovery heart rate change speed during a recovery heart rate period in the heart activity data; and determining a sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system of the person based on the determined recovery heart rate change speed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an input interface configured to receive heart activity data of a person; and

a processor configured

to determine a recovery heart rate change speed during a recovery heart rate period in the heart activity data, and

to determine a sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system of the person based on the determined recovery heart rate change speed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to store a plurality of predetermined sympathetic activity states, each predetermined sympathetic activity state being associated with a predetermined range of the recovery heart rate change speed, and to determine the sympathetic activity state by checking which predetermined range of the stored sympathetic activity state corresponds to the determined recovery heart rate change speed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a plurality of recovery heart rate periods and a plurality of sympathetic activity states based on the plurality of recovery heart rate periods, and to determine the sympathetic activity state by utilizing a statistical analysis on the plurality of sympathetic activity states or by choosing the sympathetic activity state indicating the lowest sympathetic activity among the plurality of sympathetic activity states.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to detect the recovery heart rate period from the heart activity data, and/or the apparatus further comprises a recovery input interface and the processor is further configured to detect the recovery heart rate period from the heart activity data on the basis of a recovery input received via the recovery input interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to detect the recovery heart rate period after a training period fulfilling a predetermined condition for the heart rate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined condition for the heart rate relates to the maximum heart rate of the person or to the rest heart rate of the person.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to detect the recovery heart rate period after the training period so that the recovery heart rate period starts after the training period when the heart rate falls at a higher rate than a predetermined speed or within a predetermined time limit below a predetermined limit.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus further comprises a motion input interface configured to receive motion data of the user, and the processor is further configured to detect the recovery heart rate period after the training period so that the recovery heart rate period starts after the training period when the motion data indicates that the person has stopped the training period.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine heart rate variability information from the heart activity data, and utilize the heart rate variability information in detecting the recovery heart rate period.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus further comprises a recorder configured to record the heart activity data for a time period comprising at least one recovery heart rate period, and the processor is further configured to detect the at least one recovery heart rate period utilizing a post-analysis performed for the recorded heart activity data.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a user interface, and the processor is further configured to indicate, with the user interface, a stress level of the person based on the sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system.

12. A method comprising:

receiving heart activity data of a person;

determining a recovery heart rate change speed during a recovery heart rate period in the heart activity data; and

determining a sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system of the person based on the determined recovery heart rate change speed.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing a plurality of predetermined sympathetic activity states, each predetermined sympathetic activity state being associated with a predetermined range of the recovery heart rate change speed; and

determining the sympathetic activity state by checking which predetermined range of the stored sympathetic activity state corresponds to the determined recovery heart rate change speed.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a plurality of recovery heart rate periods and a plurality of sympathetic activity states based on the plurality of recovery heart rate periods; and

determining the sympathetic activity state by utilizing a statistical analysis on the plurality of sympathetic activity states or by choosing the sympathetic activity state indicating the lowest sympathetic activity among the plurality of sympathetic activity states.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting the recovery heart rate period from the heart activity data; and

/or

detecting the recovery heart rate period from the heart activity data on the basis of received recovery input.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting the recovery heart rate period after a training period fulfilling a predetermined condition for the heart rate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition for the heart rate relates to the maximum heart rate of the person or to the rest heart rate of the person.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting the recovery heart rate period after the training period so that the recovery heart rate period starts after the training period when the heart rate falls at a higher rate than a predetermined speed or within a predetermined time limit below a predetermined limit.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving motion data of the user; and

detecting the recovery heart rate period after the training period so that the recovery heart rate period starts after the training period when the motion data indicates that the person has stopped the training period.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining heart rate variability information from the heart activity data; and

utilizing the heart rate variability information in detecting the recovery heart rate period.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

recording the heart activity data for a time period comprising at least one recovery heart rate period; and

detecting the at least one recovery heart rate period utilizing a post-analysis performed for the heart activity data.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

indicating a stress level of the person based on the sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system.

23. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the process of claim 14.

24. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a recovery heart rate change speed during a recovery heart rate period; and

means for determining a sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system of the person based on the determined recovery heart rate change speed.

25. A computer program on a carrier and comprising computer executable instructions for causing an apparatus to:

receive heart activity data of a person;

determine a recovery heart rate change speed during a recovery heart rate period in the heart activity data; and

determine a sympathetic activity state of the sympathetic nervous system of the person based on the determined recovery heart rate change speed.