APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING TRAINING THRESHOLD

• US 20130096403A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Houston System
• Original Assignee: University of Houston System
• Inventors: Dacso, Clifford C., Pollonini, Luca
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a non-invasive biosensor device configured to measure physiological parameters of a subject. In one aspect, a method of determining a training threshold of a subject is provided. The method includes the step of detecting an oxygenation parameter of a tissue of the subject using Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS). The method further includes the step of processing the oxygenation parameter. Additionally, the method includes the step of determining the training threshold of the subject using the result of the processing. In another aspect, a biosensor device for determining a lactate threshold of a subject during exercise is provided. In a further aspect, a biosensor device for measuring parameters of a subject during exercise is provided.

Claims

1. A method of determining a training threshold of a subject, the method comprising:

detecting an oxygenation parameter of a tissue of the subject using Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS);

processing the oxygenation parameter; and

determining the training threshold of the subject using the result of the processing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the training threshold is a lactate threshold of the subject.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the training threshold is a ventilatory threshold of the subject.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygenation parameter comprises at least one of concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin, concentration of deoxygenated hemoglobin, total concentration of hemoglobin, and Tissue Oxygenation Index.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the oxygenation parameter comprises analyzing a signal feature in a signal profile of the oxygenation parameter, the signal profile having a plurality of exercise stages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal feature is a value of the oxygenation parameter at an end of at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal feature is a linear model fit on a plateau interval of a curve for at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal feature is an amplitude of an exponential model of at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal feature is a time constant of an exponential model of at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring electrocardiography (EKG), photoplethysmography (PPT), and systolic time intervals (STI) of the subject.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising analyzing measured data to determine the cardiac response of the subject.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the oxygenation parameter comprises:

delivering luminous radiations at a given optical intensity to a tissue of the subject; and

detecting the optical intensity of the luminous radiations backscattered from the tissue.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending data regarding the determined training threshold to a display of a secondary device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising alerting the subject when the subject has reached the training threshold.

15. A biosensor device for determining a lactate threshold of a subject during exercise, the device comprising:

a housing;

a detector disposed in the housing, the detector being configured to detect an oxygenation parameter of a tissue of the subject using Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS); and

a processor configured to process the oxygenation parameter and determine the lactate threshold of the subject.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to analyze a signal feature in a signal profile of the oxygenation parameter, the signal profile having a plurality of exercise stages.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal feature is a value of the oxygenation parameter at an end of at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal feature is a linear model fit on a plateau interval of a curve for at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal feature is an amplitude of an exponential model of at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal feature is a time constant of an exponential model of at least one of the plurality of exercise stages.

21. A biosensor device for measuring parameters of a subject during exercise, the device comprising:

a housing;

a first detector disposed in the housing, the first detector being configured to measure oxygenation parameters of a muscle tissue of the subject;

a second detector configured to measure photoplethysmography (PPT) of the subject; and

a third detector configured to measure electrocardiography (EKG) and derived systolic time intervals (STI) of the subject.

22. The biosensor device of claim 21, further comprising a processor configured to analyze data generated by the detectors to determine a cardiac response to exercise and utilization of oxygen by the muscle tissue.

23. The biosensor device of claim 21, wherein the second detector and the third detector are disposed in the housing.