PERSONAL HEALTH DEVICE

• US 20120296178A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories
• Inventors: Lamego, Marcelo M., Kiani, Massi Joe E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,622,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters

Abstract

An active pulse blood constituent monitor is disclosed. A sensor configured to provide an artificial excitation to a portion of the patient at a known frequency provides additional information in determining the physiological condition of the patient.

Claims

1. A system configured to determine one or more physiological parameters noninvasively using optical based techniques, the system comprising:

one or more light emitting devices configured to emit light at one or more wavelengths;

one or more detectors configured to detect light after absorption by body tissue;

at least one motor configured to rotate at a known rate and generate a pulse wave in the body tissue at the measurement site, the pulse wave generated at a frequency higher than the frequency of the heart rate at least two harmonics of the heart rate and lower than about 50 Hz; and

a processor configured to receive the detector signal and utilize information from both the natural heart rate pulse and the generated pulse wave to determine physiologically significant information regarding the status of the body tissue under measurement.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated pulse wave does not affect the arterial pulse wave.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a change in pressure in the body tissue caused by the generated pulse wave does not affect the natural heart rate pulse.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the change in pressure caused by the natural heart rate pulse does not affect that generated pulse wave.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated pulse wave has a frequency between about 8 Hz and about 12 Hz.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the generated pulse wave has a frequency of about 8 Hz.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the generated pulse wave has a frequency of about 12 Hz.

8. A method of determining one or more physiological parameters noninvasively using optical based techniques, the method comprising:

emitting one or more wavelengths of light into a measurement site of a patient using one or more light emitting devices;

generating a pulse wave at the measurement site at a known rate, the pulse wave generated at a frequency higher than the frequency of the heart rate at least two harmonics of the heart rate and lower than about 50 Hz; and

detecting light after attenuation by tissue at the measurement site of the patient using one or more detectors, and generating a signal based on the detected light, wherein the generated signal includes information from both the natural heart rate pulse and the generated pulse wave to determine physiologically significant information regarding the status of the body tissue under measurement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generated pulse wave does not affect the arterial pulse wave.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a change in pressure at the measurement site caused by the generated pulse wave does not affect the natural heart rate pulse.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the change in pressure caused by the natural heart rate pulse does not affect that generated pulse wave.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the generated pulse wave has a frequency between about 8 Hz and about 12 Hz.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generated pulse wave has a frequency of about 8 Hz.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the generated pulse wave has a frequency of about 12 Hz.

16. The physiological sensor of claim 8, wherein the detector assembly comprises a transparent protrusion between the tissue and the detectors.

17. The physiological sensor of claim 8, wherein the motor'"'"'s rotation drives a piston into the detector assembly in order to generate the pulse wave.

18. The physiological sensor of claim 17, wherein the piston is driven by an off balance rotational member.

19. The physiological sensor of claim 17, wherein the off balance rotational member is elliptically shaped.

20. The physiological sensor of claim 17, wherein the off balance rotational member is circularly shaped with an off center axis of rotation.

15. A physiological sensor used in conjunction with a system configured to determine one or more physiological parameters noninvasively using optical based techniques, the physiological sensor comprising:

one or more light emitting devices configured to emit light at one or more wavelengths;

one or more detectors configured to detect light after absorption by body tissue, the one or more detectors arranged on a detector assembly; and

at least one motor configured to rotate at a known rate and generate a pulse wave in the body tissue at the measurement site by pulsing the detector assembly into the body tissue without the detector assembly loosing contact with the body tissue.

21. A method of generating an artificial pulse wave in a patient using a physiological sensor, the method comprising:

emitting light of one or more one or more wavelengths into a measurement site of a patient using one or more light emitting devices;

detecting the light after attenuation by body tissue using one or more detectors arranged on a detector assembly; and

generating an artificial pulse wave at the measurement site by pulsing the detector assembly into the body tissue without the detector assembly loosing contact with the body tissue.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the artificial pulse comprises driving a motor configured to push a piston into a backside of the detector assembly.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the artificial pulse comprises generating the artificial pulse at a known frequency greater than the frequency of a heart rate.