MONITORING THE BLOOD PRESSURE OF A PATIENT

• US 20110144456A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Morren, Geert Guy Georges, Aubert, Xavier Louis Marie Antoine, Muhlsteff, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence

Abstract

A method for monitoring the blood pressure of a patient, comprising the following steps: determining a pulse arrival time signal from the patient 2 based on the pulse wave velocity method; determining an accelerometer signal from the patient 2; and triggering an additional measure or deriving a blood pressure value, taking into account the pulse arrival time signal and a DC component of the accelerometer signal. In this way, a possibility for monitoring the blood pressure of a patient is provided with which false alarms and/or unnecessary additional cuff-based blood pressure measurements can be avoided.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the blood pressure of a patient, comprising the following steps:

determining a pulse arrival time signal from the patient based on the pulse wave velocity method;

determining an accelerometer signal from the patient; and

triggering an additional measure or deriving a blood pressure value, taking into account the pulse arrival time signal and a DC component of the accelerometer signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein before triggering the additional measure, the value of the pulse arrival time signal is compared with at least one predefined pulse arrival time threshold value, and the additional measure is only taken if the value of the pulse arrival time signal exceeds or under-runs the predefined pulse arrival time threshold value, the predefined pulse arrival time threshold value preferably being dependent on the heart rate.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional measure comprises checking for a posture change of the patient based on a change of the DC component of the accelerometer signal.

4. The method according to any of claim 1, wherein the additional measure comprises a cuff-based measurement of the blood pressure of the patient.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a subsequent alarm is triggered in case the blood pressure value of the cuff-based blood pressure measurement exceeds or under-runs a predefined blood pressure threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of deriving the blood pressure value taking into account the pulse arrival time signal and the DC component of the accelerometer signal further comprises the step of determining the blood pressure value based on pre-calibrated values for pulse arrival time signal vs. DC component of the accelerometer signal.

7. The method according to, wherein the step of deriving a blood pressure signal from the patient based on the pulse wave velocity-method comprises the steps of deriving an ECG signal from the patient-4Y and deriving a pulse wave signal from the patient.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of deriving a pulse wave signal from the patient comprises the step of deriving a pulse wave signal from the patient, preferably a plethysmographic signal.

9. A system for monitoring the blood pressure of a patient, comprising:

pulse wave velocity unit adapted for determining a pulse arrival time signal from the patient based on the pulse wave velocity method;

an accelerometer adapted for determining an accelerometer signal from the patient; and

a monitoring device adapted for triggering an additional measure or deriving a blood pressure value, taking into account the pulse arrival time signal and the DC component of the accelerometer signal.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring device is adapted for comparing the value of the pulse arrival time signal with a predefined pulse arrival time threshold value.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein a cuff adapted for a cuff-based measurement of the blood pressure of the patient is provided.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the monitoring device is adapted for triggering an alarm in case the blood pressure value of the cuff-based blood pressure measurement exceeds a predefined blood pressure threshold value or the pulse arrival time signal under-runs or exceeds a predefined pulse arrival time threshold value.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the monitoring device is adapted for storing pre-calibrated values for pulse arrival time signal vs. DC component of the accelerometer signal.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the pulse wave velocity unit comprises an ECG sensor and a pulse sensor, preferably an optical sensor adapted for deriving a plethysmographic signal from the patient.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein an ECG-electrode with an integrated acceleration sensor or/and an ECG-electrode connector with an integrated acceleration sensor is provided.