Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 20090287110A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Ferren, Bran, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Hagen, Jeffrey John
• Application Number:
  US12/152,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287110A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• 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 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 : specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 : using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

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 locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb; and

means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for signaling a selective expansion of one or more actuation elements configured to affect the second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for selecting an element configured to interact with apparently healthy tissue as the second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for causing one or more actuation elements to reduce a force exerted upon the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for detecting an apparent change in the subject'"'"'s limb over a period of several seconds or more.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for receiving thermal information from one or more sensors adjacent the subject'"'"'s limb.

7. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for detecting additional information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for obtaining information from a remote source including at least the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for indicating one or more of a thigh location, a calf location, or a foot location as the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

10. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for updating a normality threshold configured to evaluate other thermal information about the subject'"'"'s limb.

11. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for detecting how long a thermal abnormality apparently remains in the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

12. The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

means for causing a thermal abnormality in the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for determining whether a decreased force is exerted upon the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wearable article supporting at least some of the means for obtaining the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a bed comprising the artificial support.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more wheels configured to convey the artificial support.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting a notification about the subject'"'"'s limb partly in response to an availability indication about a destination and partly in response to the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for including a timestamp with a notification about the subject'"'"'s limb.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for including other physiological information with a notification about the subject'"'"'s limb.

20-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A method comprising:

obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb; and

causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

55. The method of claim 54 in which causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

signaling a selective expansion of one or more actuation elements configured to affect the second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

56. The method of claim 54 in which causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

selecting an element configured to interact with apparently healthy tissue as the second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

57. The method of claim 54 in which causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

causing one or more actuation elements to reduce a force exerted upon the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

58. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

detecting an apparent change in the subject'"'"'s limb over a period of several seconds or more.

59. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

receiving thermal information from one or more sensors adjacent the subject'"'"'s limb.

60. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

detecting additional information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

61. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

obtaining information from a remote source including at least the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

62. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

indicating one or more of a thigh location, a calf location, or a foot location as the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

63. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

updating a normality threshold configured to evaluate other thermal information about the subject'"'"'s limb.

64. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

detecting how long a thermal abnormality apparently remains in the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

65. The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject'"'"'s limb comprises:

causing a thermal abnormality in the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

66. The method of claim 54 further comprising:

determining whether a decreased force is exerted upon the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.

67. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

transmitting a notification about the subject'"'"'s limb partly in response to an availability indication about a destination and partly in response to the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject'"'"'s limb.