Respirations Activity and Motion Measurement Using Accelerometers

• US 20120029375A1
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Lane, John A., Quinn, David E., Whitaker, Tyson B., Smith, Henry Joseph III
• Application Number:
  US12/848,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/534
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses

Abstract

A system for estimating respirations includes an accelerometer configured to be coupled to an individual'"'"'s torso, the accelerometer being configured to measure a tilt of the accelerometer as the individual breathes, and a processor connected to the accelerometer, the processor being programmed to process tilt data from the accelerometer and to estimate a respiration rate based on the tilt data.

Claims

1. A system for estimating respirations, the system comprising:

an accelerometer configured to be coupled to an individual'"'"'s torso, the accelerometer being configured to measure a tilt of the accelerometer as the individual breathes; and

a processor connected to the accelerometer, the processor being programmed to process tilt data from the accelerometer and to estimate a respiration rate based on the tilt data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a three-axis accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to estimate a body position of the individual based on the tilt data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to estimate a quality of breathing based on the tilt data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to estimate a body position of the individual based on the tilt data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to estimate a quality of breathing based on the tilt data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is further configured to estimate a dynamic acceleration of the accelerometer as the individual breathes.

8. A method for estimating respirations, the method comprising:

coupling a tilt sensor to a torso of an individual;

measuring tilt data from the tilt sensor as the individual breathes; and

estimating a respiration rate of the individual based on the tilt data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

filtering a plurality of signals from the tilt sensor;

searching for a candidate from the plurality of signals;

testing the candidate; and

when the candidate passes the testing, estimating the respiration rate based on tilt data associated with the candidate.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising using a three-axis accelerometer as the tilt sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating a body position of the individual based on the tilt data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising estimating a quality of breathing based on the tilt data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating a dynamic acceleration of the three-axis accelerometer as the individual breathes.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising estimating a body position of the individual based on the tilt data.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising estimating a quality of breathing based on the tilt data.

16. A computer-readable data storage media encoding instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive tilt data from a tilt sensor coupled to a torso of an individual;

monitor the tilt data as the individual breathes; and

estimate a respiration rate of the individual based on the tilt data.

17. The computer-readable data storage media of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable data storage media encodes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

filter a plurality of signals from the tilt sensor;

search for a candidate from the plurality of signals;

test the candidate; and

when the candidate passes the testing, estimate the respiration rate based on tilt data associated with the candidate.

18. The computer-readable data storage media of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable data storage media encodes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to estimate a body position of the individual based on the tilt data.

19. The computer-readable data storage media of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable data storage media encodes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to estimate a quality of breathing based on the tilt data.

20. The computer-readable data storage media of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable data storage media encodes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to estimate a body position of the individual based on the tilt data.