SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED INFANT ASSESSMENT

• US 20120130200A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cipriano, James Patrick
• Application Number:
  US12/949,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14557 specially adapted to extracorporeal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis

Abstract

A system for automatically assessing an infant includes a computer. The computer is configured to assess an infant'"'"'s appearance and generate an appearance score based on the appearance assessment, assess the infant'"'"'s pulse and generate a pulse score based on the pulse assessment, assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus and generate a grimace score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s reaction to the stimulus, assess the infant'"'"'s activity, and generate an activity score based on the activity assessment, and assess the infant'"'"'s respiration and generate a respiration score based on the respiration assessment. The computer is also configured to generate a composite infant assessment based on the appearance score, the pulse score, the grimace score, the activity score and the respiration score.

Claims

1. A method for automatically assessing an infant comprising:

implementing a computer to assess the infant'"'"'s appearance, and to generate an appearance score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s appearance;

implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s pulse, and to generate a pulse score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s pulse;

implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus, and to generate a grimace score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s reaction to the stimulus;

implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s activity, and to generate an activity score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s activity;

implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s respiration, and to generate a respiration score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s respiration; and

implementing the computer to generate a composite infant assessment based on the appearance score, the pulse score, the grimace score, the activity score and the respiration score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s appearance comprises implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s skin color.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s appearance comprises implementing the computer to assess the oxygenation of the infant'"'"'s hemoglobin based on feedback from a pulse oximeter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus comprises implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s facial expression.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to the stimulus comprises implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s vocal expression.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to the stimulus comprises implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s motion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s activity comprises implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s motion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s respiration comprises implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s motion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said implementing the computer to assess the infant'"'"'s motion comprises implementing the computer to assess a sequence of chest contractions and/or expansions.

10. A system for automatically assessing an infant comprising:

a computer configured to;

assess an infant'"'"'s appearance, and to generate an appearance score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s appearance;

assess the infant'"'"'s pulse, and to generate a pulse score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s pulse;

assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus, and to generate a grimace score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s reaction to the stimulus;

assess the infant'"'"'s activity, and to generate an activity score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s activity;

assess the infant'"'"'s respiration, and to generate a respiration score based on the assessment of the infant'"'"'s respiration; and

generate a composite infant assessment based on the appearance score, the pulse score, the grimace score, the activity score and the respiration score.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a camera, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s appearance based on feedback from the camera.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus based on feedback from the camera.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a pulse oximeter, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s pulse based on feedback from the pulse oximeter.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a microphone, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s pulse based on feedback from the microphone.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus based on feedback from the microphone.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a motion sensor, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s activity based on feedback from the motion sensor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus based on feedback from the motion sensor.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising a pressure sensor, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s activity based on feedback from the pressure sensor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said computer is configured to assess the infant'"'"'s reaction to a stimulus based on feedback from the pressure sensor.