Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 20100036269A1
• 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:
  US12/228,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036269A1
• 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 physiological support, including at least circuitry for detecting an intensive property of at least an internal portion of a limb of a mammal; and

circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold.

2. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for detecting an intensive property of at least an internal portion of a limb of a mammal comprises:

circuitry for detecting a thermal normalization rate decrease.

3. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for detecting an intensive property of at least an internal portion of a limb of a mammal comprises:

circuitry for activating an electromagnetic radiation emitter adjacent the limb of the mammal.

4. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in the intensive property satisfies a directional criterion.

5. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in the intensive property exceeds a size threshold.

6. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

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

7. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal transmissivity drift affecting energy that passes into the limb.

8. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal manifests a temporal transmissivity drift across one or more microwave or radio frequency ranges.

9. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

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

10. The medical or veterinary system of claim 9, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

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

11. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

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 limb.

12. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for permitting an event count to manifest the apparent trend in the intensive property; and

circuitry for implementing a contingent transmission responsive to whether the event count exceeds a count threshold as the indication.

13. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for detecting several consecutive emission-level-drift indicative values manifesting a flow change apparently induced by a progressive blood vessel occlusion.

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

a garment.

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

at least one of a bandage or a compression stocking.

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

at least one a cast or a wrap.

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

at least one of a seat or a bed.

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

the circuitry for detecting the intensive property of the mammal, including a least an energy sensor; and

a mechanical component configured to support at least some of the mammal and to support the energy sensor adjacent to the limb of the mammal.

32. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the circuitry for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

circuitry for detecting several consecutive emission-level-drift indicative values manifesting a flow change apparently induced by a progressive blood vessel occlusion;

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 limb;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal reflectivity drift affecting energy that passes into the limb;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal transmissivity drift affecting energy that passes into the limb;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether a signal manifests a temporal transmissivity drift across one or more microwave or radio frequency ranges;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in the intensive property exceeds a size threshold;

circuitry for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in the intensive property satisfies a directional criterion;

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

circuitry for determining whether the duration of the temporal drift meets or exceeds the temporal threshold, wherein the temporal threshold exceeds an hour;

circuitry for permitting an event count to manifest the apparent trend in the intensive property; and

circuitry for implementing a contingent transmission responsive to the event count.

19. A medical or veterinary monitoring system comprising:

means for detecting an intensive property of at least an internal portion of a limb of a mammal; and

means for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold.

20. The medical or veterinary system of claim 19, in which the means for detecting an intensive property of at least an internal portion of a limb of a mammal comprises:

means for detecting a thermal normalization rate decrease.

23. The medical or veterinary system of claim 19, in which the means for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

means for causing a determination of whether an apparent transition in the intensive property exceeds a size threshold.

24. The medical or veterinary system of claim 19, in which the means for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

means for causing a determination of whether a signal indicates a temporal reflectivity drift affecting energy that passes into the limb.

29. The medical or veterinary system of claim 19, in which the means for transmitting an indication of whether an apparent trend in the intensive property exceeds a temporal threshold comprises:

means 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 limb.

21-22. -22. (canceled)

25-28. -28. (canceled)

30-31. -31. (canceled)