Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 20090292212A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC A Limited Corporation of The State of Delaware
• 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:
  US12/154,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/481
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• 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 5/412 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 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• 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

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 medical or veterinary system comprising:

circuitry for deciding whether to transmit one or more blood clot indications; and

one or more tensile elements configured to exert force upon at least a portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications toward a subject.

2. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

an implantable antenna operable to transmit the one or more blood clot indications.

3. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting a notification to a user interface component in response to the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications.

4. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a module configured to receive the force and to support the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications.

5. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor element; and

a liquid-containing medium configured at least to facilitate energy passing between the subject and the sensor element.

6. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dispenser supported by an artificial structure containing the one or more tensile elements.

7. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dispenser suitable for implantation into the subject.

8. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reservoir configured to dispense a lytic material into the subject in response to at least one of the one or more blood clot indications.

9. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the one or more tensile elements comprise:

a fibrous matrix.

10. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the one or more tensile elements comprise:

a portion of an article worn by the subject.

11. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the one or more tensile elements comprise:

a seat operable to support the subject.

12. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle comprising the one or more tensile elements.

13. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

one or more of a force sensor or a pressure sensor.

14. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

one or more of a temperature sensor or a flow sensor.

15. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

one or more of an infrared sensor or a near-infrared sensor.

16. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

event detection logic.

17. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for evaluating pathology-indicative data.

18. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for handling shape-indicative data depicting an apparent blood clot.

19. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for evaluating whether colorimetric data contains an apparent abnormality.

20. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for evaluating whether real-time data contains an apparent abnormality.

21. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

a comparator configured to apply one or more thresholds to the one or more blood clot indications.

22. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for responding to a motion of at least a portion of the subject.

23. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for responding to an acceleration of at least a portion of the subject.

24. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for responding to an electrical impedance of a portion of the subject.

47. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12, further comprising:

an implantable antenna operable to transmit the one or more blood clot indications.

48. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting a notification to a user interface component in response to the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications.

49. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12, further comprising:

a module configured to receive the force and to support the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications.

50. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12, further comprising:

a dispenser supported by an artificial structure containing the one or more tensile elements.

51. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12, further comprising:

a reservoir configured to dispense a lytic material into the subject in response to at least one of the one or more blood clot indications.

52. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the one or more tensile elements comprise:

a fibrous matrix.

53. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the one or more tensile elements comprise:

a seat operable to support the subject.

54. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

one or more of a force sensor or a pressure sensor.

55. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

one or more of a temperature sensor or a flow sensor.

56. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

one or more of an infrared sensor or a near-infrared sensor.

57. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for evaluating pathology-indicative data.

58. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for evaluating whether colorimetric data contains an apparent abnormality.

59. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for evaluating whether real-time data contains an apparent abnormality.

60. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for responding to a motion of at least a portion of the subject.

61. The medical or veterinary system of claim 12 in which the portion of the circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the one or more blood clot indications comprises:

circuitry for responding to an electrical impedance of a portion of the subject.

25-46. -46. (canceled)