Integrated physiological sensor apparatus and system
First Claim
1. An integrated physiological sensor system, comprising:
- a plurality of physiological sensors, said plurality of physiological sensors including at least a first physiological sensor adapted to measure pulse amplitude at a target measurement site on a subject'"'"'s body and a second physiological sensor adapted to monitor electrical impulses associated with said subject'"'"'s heart function; and
means for heating a tissue region on said subject'"'"'s body, whereby blood perfusion of said tissue region is enhanced, said tissue region including said target measurement site and extending beyond said target measurement site.
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Abstract
A physiological sensor apparatus, system and method for determining a physiological characteristic, comprising providing at least one physiological sensor that is adapted to measure at least one physiological characteristic at a target measurement site on a subject'"'"'s body, heating an extended tissue region on the subject'"'"'s body, whereby blood perfusion of the tissue region is enhanced, and measuring at least one physiological characteristic at the target measurement site with the physiological sensor during or within a predetermined period after heating the extended tissue region. In one embodiment, the sensor system includes at least one temperature algorithm that is adapted to adjust the heat applied to the extended tissue region based on the body'"'"'s response to the heat stimuli.
33 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An integrated physiological sensor system, comprising:
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a plurality of physiological sensors, said plurality of physiological sensors including at least a first physiological sensor adapted to measure pulse amplitude at a target measurement site on a subject'"'"'s body and a second physiological sensor adapted to monitor electrical impulses associated with said subject'"'"'s heart function; and means for heating a tissue region on said subject'"'"'s body, whereby blood perfusion of said tissue region is enhanced, said tissue region including said target measurement site and extending beyond said target measurement site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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3. An integrated physiological sensor system, comprising:
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a plurality of physiological sensors, said plurality of sensors including at least a first physiological sensor adapted to measure pulse amplitude at a first target measurement site on a subject'"'"'s body and a second physiological sensor adapted to monitor electrical impulses associated with said subject'"'"'s heart function; means for heating a tissue region on said subject'"'"'s body, whereby blood perfusion of said tissue region is enhanced, said tissue region including said first target measurement site and extending beyond said first target measurement site; a first heat sensor adapted to monitor skin surface temperature of said tissue region; and a processor in communication with said heating means and said first heat sensor, said processor including at least one algorithm for regulating said heating means based on a physiological response of said subject'"'"'s body to heating of said tissue region.
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15. A method of determining a physiological characteristic, comprising the steps of:
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providing at least a first physiological sensor that is adapted to measure pulse amplitude at a first tissue region on a subject'"'"'s body, said first physiological sensor having a signal-to-noise ratio; disposing said first physiological sensor proximate said first tissue region; heating said first tissue region to an interrogation temperature; measuring a first pulse amplitude at said first tissue region with said first physiological sensor during heating of said first tissue region; measuring a first temperature of said first tissue region during heating of said first tissue region; providing demographic pulse amplitude and skin surface temperature data; providing a temperature algorithm that is adapted to adjust the interrogation temperature as a function of said first pulse amplitude and said first tissue region temperature and said demographic pulse,amplitude and skin surface temperature data, whereby said signal-to-noise ratio of said first physiological sensor is optimized. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of determining a physiological characteristic, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first physiological sensor that is adapted to measure pulse amplitude at a first tissue region on a subject'"'"'s body, said first physiological sensor having a signal-to-noise ratio; disposing said first physiological sensor proximate said first tissue region; providing a second physiological sensor that is adapted to measure pulse amplitude at a second tissue region on said subject'"'"'s body, said second tissue region being close to, but independent of said first tissue region; disposing said second physiological sensor proximate said second tissue region; heating said first tissue region to an interrogation temperature; measuring a first temperature of said first tissue region during heating of said first tissue region; measuring a first pulse amplitude at said first tissue region with said first physiological sensor during heating of said first tissue region; measuring a second temperature of a second tissue region; measuring a second pulse amplitude at said second tissue region with said second physiological sensor; providing an algorithm that is adapted to adjust said interrogation temperature as a function of said first and second tissue region temperatures and said first and second pulse amplitudes, whereby said signal-to-noise ratio of said first physiological sensor is optimized. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification