METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING MULTIPLE SENSORS TO MEASURE DIFFERENTIAL BLOOD TRANSPORT TIME IN A PATIENT
First Claim
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1. A method of measuring differential blood transport time in a patient comprising:
- placing a first sensor adjacent a first location on the patient'"'"'s body;
placing a second sensor adjacent a second location on the patient'"'"'s body;
operating the first sensor to detect a variable characteristic of the patient'"'"'s blood at the first location;
operating the second sensor to detect the variable characteristic of the patient'"'"'s blood at the second location; and
determining elapsed time between when a change in the variable characteristic is detected by the first and second sensors at the first and second locations, respectively.
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Abstract
The difference in time that it takes for blood to flow to two locations in a patient'"'"'s body can be measured by placing, on the patient'"'"'s body, sensors for non-invasively detecting a variable characteristic of the content of the blood at each of those locations. The time of occurrence of a change in that characteristic as detected by one of the sensors is compared to the time of occurrence of that same change as detected by the other sensor. The difference between these two times is a measure of the difference in time that it takes for blood to flow to the locations of the two sensors.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of measuring differential blood transport time in a patient comprising:
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placing a first sensor adjacent a first location on the patient'"'"'s body; placing a second sensor adjacent a second location on the patient'"'"'s body; operating the first sensor to detect a variable characteristic of the patient'"'"'s blood at the first location; operating the second sensor to detect the variable characteristic of the patient'"'"'s blood at the second location; and determining elapsed time between when a change in the variable characteristic is detected by the first and second sensors at the first and second locations, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Apparatus for measuring differential blood transport time in a patient comprising:
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a first sensor adapted for placement adjacent a first location on a patient'"'"'s body and operable to produce a first electrical output signal indicative of a variable characteristic of the patient'"'"'s blood at the first location; a second sensor adapted for placement adjacent a second location on the patient'"'"'s body and operable to produce a second electrical output signal indicative of the variable characteristic of the patient'"'"'s blood at the second location; and circuitry for outputting indications of the first and second signals in a way that enables determination of elapsed time between when a change in the variable characteristic is detected by each of the first and second sensors. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification