Sensor-Based Adaptive Methods for Wearable Devices

• US 20100171611A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alexander M. Alm, Jeffrey S. Chavis, Steven M. Babin, Tia Gao
• Original Assignee: Alexander M. Alm, Jeffrey S. Chavis, Steven M. Babin, Tia Gao
• Inventors: Gao, Tia, Chavis, Jeffrey S., Babin, Steven M., Alm, Alexander M.
• Application Number:
  US12/632,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171611A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards apparatuses, systems and methods for providing improved sensor-based patient monitoring and tracking. In accordance with one aspect, a method is provided for adjusting a vital sign alarm threshold of a vital status sensor as a function of a patient'"'"'s GPS data, which may comprise: altitude data, velocity data, and position data. In accordance with another aspect, a method is provided for adjusting one or more alarm detection parameters based in part on a patient'"'"'s calculated heart rate variability (HRV) data. According to yet another aspect, an electronic triage tag is configured to include a colored card insertion region for inserting a colored card for preventing the device from being inadvertently activated, an LCD screen and a series of LEDs for displaying the triage status of a patient (red, yellow, green, black).

Claims

1. A method for adjusting at least one alarm detection parameter associated with heart arrhythmia in patients, the method comprising the steps of

periodically receiving patient heart rate data;

converting the periodically received patient heart rate data to heart rate variability (HRV) data; and

adjusting the at least one alarm detection parameter based on the heart rate variability (HRV) data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the patient heart rate data is wirelessly received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the heart rate data is wirelessly received from a wearable computer comprising a processor, a memory, a pulse-oximeter and a blood pressure sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said converting step further comprises:

converting the received heart rate data in the time domain to HRV data in the frequency domain.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the HRV data in the frequency domain is a ratio of high frequency data to low frequency data, HF/LF.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one alarm detection parameter is adjusted upward for a computed HF/LF ratio substantially in the range of 52 to 76, indicative of a healthy patient.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one alarm detection parameter is adjusted downward for a computed HF/LF ratio substantially in the range of 140 to 204, indicative of an unhealthy patient.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the converting step further comprises:

converting the patient heart rate data to heart rate variability (HRV) data in accordance with a power spectrum algorithm.

9. A method for adjusting at least one alarm threshold associated with heart arrhythmia in patients, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically receiving GPS data associated with a given patient;

determining that said received GPS data is significantly changed from previously received GPS data; and

adjusting said at least one alarm threshold associated with the detection of heart arrhythmia, based on the received GPS data, upon satisfying said determining step.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

prior to said determining step, determining that said received GPS data is acceptable.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determination of said received GPS data being acceptable comprises:

determining that said GPS data is not NULL data; and

determining that said GPS data exceeds a predetermined acceptability threshold.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the GPS data is selected from the group consisting of:

altitude data, velocity data, position data.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one alarm threshold is a threshold associated with a patient'"'"'s acceptable minimum heart rate.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one alarm threshold is a threshold associated with a patient'"'"'s acceptable maximum heart rate.