METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THORACIC TISSUE FLUID

• US 20100256462A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Inventors: Kochba, Ilan, Ronen, Amir, Bergida, Shlomi, Rappaport, Dan, Mizrahi, Nadav, Saroka, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 10,561,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor

Abstract

A method for monitoring thoracic tissue. The method comprises intercepting reflections of electromagnetic (EM) radiation reflected from thoracic tissue of a patient in radiation sessions during a period of at least 24 hours, detecting a change of a dielectric coefficient of the thoracic tissue by analyzing respective the reflections, and outputting a notification indicating the change. The reflections are changed as an outcome of thoracic movements which occur during the period.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a change in at least one thoracic tissue, comprising:

intercepting at least one electromagnetic (EM) radiation from the at least one thoracic tissue of a patient in a plurality of radiation sessions during a period of at least 24 hours;

detecting a change of a dielectric related property of the at least one thoracic tissue by analyzing respective said intercepted EM radiation;

determining a fluid content level in said at least one thoracic tissue according to said change; and

outputting a notification indicating said based on said fluid content level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of said intercepting is performed after said patient being ambulatory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein during said period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises identifying, in a signal based on said intercepted EM radiation reflection, a segment representing said at least one thoracic tissue, and detecting said change according to said segment identifying.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises using a predefined chest wall model for identifying said segment.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting said predefined chest wall model according to at least one of medical information and imaging data related to said patient before said analyzing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises identifying a breathing cycle of said patient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises identifying a current posture of said patient and performing said determining with respect to the effect of said current posture on said change.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an activity level, said determining being performed with respect to the effect of said activity level on said change.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a match between said fluid content level and at least one value indicative of at least one of a pathologic pattern, wherein said notification is configured for indicating said at least one pathologic pattern.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one pathologic pattern is of a member selected from a group consisting of:

a degenerative process, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), congestive heart failure (CHF), trauma, an atelectasis, a post-operative atelectasis, a postoperative process, an osculated bronchus, a pulmonary inflammation progress, a pulmonary blood accumulation, an infectious causes, an inhaled toxins, a circulating exogenous toxins, a vasoactive substances, a disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), a immunologic processes reactions, a uremia, a post drowning lung water level, a pulmonary venous thrombosis, a stenosis, a veno-occlusive disease, a hypoalbuminemia, a lymphatic insufficiency, a high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), a neurogenic pulmonary edema, a drug overdose, a pulmonary embolism, an eclampsia, a postcardioversion, a postanesthetic, a postextubation, and post-cardiopulmonary bypass.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a biological parameter of said patient using a medical sensor, said detecting determining being performed according to a combination of data based on said intercepted EM radiation and said biological parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said medical sensor is selected from a group consisting of an electrocardiogram (ECG), an electromyogram (EMG), an ultrasound transducer, a pulse oximeter, a blood pressure sensor, coagulometer, and optical blood saturation detector.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises identifying a current position of a source of said intercepted EM radiation with respect to said at least one thoracic segment and performing said determining with respect to the effect of said current position on said change.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein said change is indicative of at least one tissue transition.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises identifying a breathing cycle of said patient and computing said change accordingly.

2. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13-14. -14. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A monitoring apparatus configured for detecting a change in at least one thoracic tissue, comprising:

a probe intercepts at least one electromagnetic (EM) radiation from at least one thoracic tissue of a patient;

a processing unit which detects a change in a dielectric related property of at least one thoracic tissue by analyzing said intercepted EM radiation and determines a fluid content level in said at least one thoracic tissue according to said change;

wherein said probe and said processing unit are configured for respectively performing said intercepting and said analyzing in a plurality of radiation sessions during a period of at least 24 hours.

21. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an attachment unit configured for attaching the monitoring apparatus to a thorax said patient.

22. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, wherein said monitoring apparatus is substantially stationary, said plurality of radiation sessions being performed while said patient is in a monitoring position.

24. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, wherein said at least one thoracic tissue comprises at least one pulmonary tissue and said detecting is based on a member of a group consisting of:

an accumulation of fluid content, a dispersion of fluid content, a concentration change in distribution of said thoracic fluid, and a change composition of fluid content.

25. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a dosage interface configured for providing treatment instruct according to said fluid content level.

27. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an output unit configured for communicating with a medical device which examines breathing volumes of said patient, said processing unit being configured for performing said determining according to said breathing volumes.

28. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, wherein said processing unit is configured for detecting a pathological indicator according to said fluid content level;

further comprising an output unit for generating a notification in response to said pathological indicator.

29. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an adjustment unit for receiving adjustment information related to said patient, said processing unit configured for performing said detecting determining according to said adjustment information.

32. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, wherein said processing unit is configured for identifying a difference between a first segment of said intercepted EM radiation and a second segment thereof, said first and second segments being captured respectively from first and second areas of said at least one thoracic tissue, allowing said processing unit to use said difference for performing said determining.

33. The monitoring apparatus of claim 32, wherein said processing unit reduces an affect of a member of a group consisting of:

a posture change, a change in placement, a change in the power of said intercepted EM radiation, and a change in the frequency of said intercepted EM radiation according to said difference.

35. The monitoring apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a notification unit which notifies a user according to said fluid content level in light of at least one user defined threshold.

23. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

30-31. -31. (canceled)

38. A method for detecting a change in at least one thoracic tissue, comprising:

intercepting at least one electromagnetic (EM) radiation from the at least one thoracic tissue of a patient in a plurality of radiation sessions during a period of at least 24 hours;

detecting a change of a dielectric related property of the at least one thoracic tissue by analyzing respective said intercepted EM radiation;

determining a fluid content level in said at least one thoracic tissue according to said change; and

outputting a notification indicating a fluid content change according to said fluid content level.