Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 20100036268A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• 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:
  US12/228,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036268A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/504
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take 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: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

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 monitoring system comprising:

a sensor;

a support module configured to position the sensor in a vicinity of a body portion for a period of at least about an hour;

circuitry for receiving from the sensor first data indicative of whether the body portion exhibits one or more clotting symptoms within an earlier part of the period; and

circuitry for receiving from the sensor second data indicative of whether the body portion exhibits one or more clotting symptoms within a later part of the period.

2. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

circuitry for determining from the first data and from the second data a direction of an apparent movement of an object.

3. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

circuitry for determining from the first data and from the second data whether a duration of an apparent movement exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is at least a minute.

4. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

circuitry for determining from the first data and from the second data one or more spatial proportions of an object within the body portion.

5. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

circuitry for absorbing infrared light from the body portion.

6. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

a physiological support configured to position the sensor in the vicinity of the body portion for the period, the period being at least about a day.

7. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

a physiological support configured to maintain contact between the sensor and the body portion for more than an hour.

8. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

one or more of an optical sensor or an auditory sensor.

9. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

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

10. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

a conductivity sensor.

11. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

a garment.

12. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

at least one of a bandage or a compression stocking.

13. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

at least one a cast or a wrap.

14. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

a seat.

15. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

a bed.

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

circuitry for detecting a thermal normalization rate decrease from at least the first data.

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

circuitry for activating an electromagnetic radiation emitter adjacent the body portion.

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

circuitry for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in an intensive property exceeds a size threshold from at least the first data.

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

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal reflectivity drift affecting energy that passes into the body portion.

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

circuitry for determining whether a duration of a temporal drift meets or exceeds a temporal threshold, wherein the temporal threshold exceeds a minute.

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

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal drift affecting one or more wavelengths of infrared light longer than 600 nm passing into the body portion.

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

circuitry for causing a selection of a notification responsive to data indicating that a speed of an apparent movement exceeds a speed threshold from at least the first data.

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

circuitry for obtaining a local symptom of vascular occlusion from at least the first data.

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

circuitry for guiding a user to facilitate a determination about a hemodynamic instability from at least the first data.

25. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the sensor comprises:

one or more of a thermal sensor, a pressure sensor, or a conductivity sensor.

circuitry for absorbing infrared light from the body portion;

circuitry for determining from the first data and from the second data one or more spatial proportions of an object within the body portion;

circuitry for determining from the first data and from the second data a direction of an apparent movement of the object; and

circuitry for determining from the first data and from the second data whether a duration of the apparent movement exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is at least a minute;

26. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the support module comprises:

a physiological support configured to maintain contact between the sensor and the body portion for at least about a day, the physiological support comprising one or more of a garment, a bandage, a compression stocking, a cast, a wrap, a seat, or a bed.

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

circuitry for detecting a thermal normalization rate decrease from at least the first data;

circuitry for activating an electromagnetic radiation emitter adjacent the body portion;

circuitry for causing a selection of a notification responsive to data indicating that a speed of an apparent movement exceeds a speed threshold from at least the first data;

circuitry for obtaining a local symptom of vascular occlusion from at least the first data;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in an intensive property exceeds a size threshold from at least the first data;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal drift affecting one or more wavelengths of infrared light longer than 600 nm passing into the body portion; and

circuitry for guiding a user to facilitate a determination about a hemodynamic instability from at least the first data.