SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF DYSPNEA

• US 20120330114A1
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• 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: Cheung, Amy Oi Mee, Atakhorrami, Maryam
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient is provided. The method includes measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time with an activity monitor to gather physical activity data; measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time with a respiration rate sensor to gather respiration rate data; administering a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient; and executing, on one or more computer processors, one or more computer program modules to determine a dyspnea value for the patient based on the respiration rate data, the physical activity data, and the clinical information of the patient. The dyspnea value is representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the method comprising:

measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time with an activity monitor to gather physical activity data;

measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time with a respiration rate sensor to gather respiration rate data;

administering a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient;

determining a first baseline parameter reflecting the respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

determining a second baseline parameter reflecting the respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

executing, on a computer processor, a computer program module to determine a dyspnea value for the patient based on the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter, and the clinical information of the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer or a piezoelectric sensor.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer, and wherein the accelerometer also constitutes the respiration rate sensor.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the respiration rate sensor is an accelerometer or a microphone.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the clinical information includes information about respiratory symptoms of the patient, information about smoking history of the patient, and information about any other illnesses of the patient.

6. (canceled)

7. A system for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to measure a respiration rate of the patient to gather respiration rate data, and physical activity of the patient to gather physical activity data;

a questionnaire system configured to gather clinical information of the patient; and

a processor configured to

determine a first baseline parameter reflecting the respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

determine a second baseline parameter reflecting the respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

process the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter and the clinical information of the patient to determine a dyspnea value for the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient.

8. A system of claim 7, wherein the sensor is an activity monitor.

9. A system of claim 8, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer or a piezoelectric sensor.

10. A system of claim 7, wherein the sensor is a respiration rate sensor.

11. A system of claim 10, wherein the respiration rate sensor is an accelerometer or a microphone.

12. A system of claim 7, wherein the clinical information includes information about respiratory symptoms of the patient, information about smoking history of the patient, and information about any other illnesses of the patient.

13. (canceled)

14. A system for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the system comprising:

means for measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time with an activity monitor to gather physical activity data;

means for measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time with a respiration rate sensor to gather respiration rate data;

means for administering a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient;

means for determining a first baseline parameter reflecting the respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

means for determining a second baseline parameter reflecting the respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

means for executing, on one or more computer processors, one or more computer program modules to determine a dyspnea value for the patient based on the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter, and the clinical information of the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient.

15. A system of claim 14, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer.

16. A system of claim 14, wherein the respiration rate sensor is a microphone.

17. A system of claim 14, wherein the clinical information includes information about respiratory symptoms of the patient, information about smoking history of the patient, and information about any other illnesses of the patient.

18. (canceled)