Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 20090287093A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Hagen, Jeffrey John
• Application Number:
  US12/152,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287093A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/481
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 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 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for obtaining and acting upon information indicative of circulatory health and related phenomena in human beings or other subjects.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

means for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject; and

means for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

15. The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

means for indicating one or more categorical parameters describing the subject.

16. The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

means for indicating one or more length-indicative parameters describing the subject.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for recording at least one difference between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing at least one result of the one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensor elements; and

contact enhancement material configured to facilitate an energy transfer between the subject and at least one of the one or more sensor elements.

2-14. -14. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

22-48. -48. (canceled)

49. A system comprising:

circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject; and

circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

50. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

an antenna configured to bear at least the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject.

51. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

a position sensor.

52. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

circuitry for receiving subject-provided data as the local respiratory-status-indicative information.

53. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

circuitry for activating one or more sensor-containing modules in a vicinity of the first body part of the subject.

54. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

circuitry for obtaining at least some of the local respiratory-status-indicative information via one or more optical sensors.

55. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

circuitry for obtaining an indication of a respiratory status within a limb as the local respiratory-status-indicative information.

56. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for deriving the filtering information at least partly from respiratory-status-indicative information about a second body part of the subject.

57. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for causing at least one of the one or more comparisons to occur while the subject sleeps.

58. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for detecting an apparent vascular flow change as a result of the one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

59. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for causing at least one of the one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject to be performed remotely.

60. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

a clock configured to indicate timing relating to the local respiratory-status-indicative information.

61. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for indicating an identity of the subject.

62. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

one or more sensors configured to provide at least some of the filtering information.

63. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for indicating one or more categorical parameters describing the subject.

64. The system of claim 49 in which the circuitry for causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject comprises:

circuitry for indicating one or more length-indicative parameters describing the subject.

65. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

circuitry for deciding whether to transmit a notice to a user interface in response to at least one of the one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

66. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

circuitry for recording at least one difference between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

67. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting an apparently-normal-respiration indicator from the one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

68. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining information relating to another body part of the subject.

69. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining other information relating to the subject.

70. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

one or more media configured to store at least one result of the one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and the filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

71. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

one or more sensor elements; and

contact enhancement material configured to facilitate an energy transfer between the subject and at least one of the one or more sensor elements.

72. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

one or more concentration sensors configured to be implantable within the subject and to provide at least some of the local respiratory-status-indicative information.

73. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving at least some of the filtering information from a human being having one or more observations about the subject.

74. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

a seat configured to support the subject; and

two or more wheels configured to bear the seat.

75. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

two or more wheels configured to bear the subject; and

an engine configured to bear the subject.

76. A method comprising:

obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject; and

causing one or more comparisons between the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject and filtering information at least partly based on the subject.

77. The method of claim 76 in which obtaining local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of a subject comprises:

transmitting the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the subject through an antenna.

78-96. -96. (canceled)