ECG ACQUISITION AND TREATMENT-RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR TREATING ABNORMAL CARDIAC FUNCTION

• US 20130281816A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardimetric, LLC, Cardimetrix LLC
• Original Assignee: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• Inventors: Strauss, Benjamin Jordan, Katlowitz, Kalman, Forkosh, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,107,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/391
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and system for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function. The patient'"'"'s cardiac activity is substantially continuously monitored via a portable wearable device having electrodes and a microcontroller. Features in the monitored cardiac activity indicative of abnormal cardiac function are automatically detected. In response to the detection of an abnormal detected cardiac function, at least one person is automatically alerted of the detected abnormal cardiac function of the patient, and medication may be automatically caused to be administered to the patient. The portable wearable device preferably includes a plurality of electrodes and a microcontroller in communication with the electrodes, adapted to receive sensed cardiac activity signals and create digital signals enabling identification of at least one cardiac parameter. A remote computer server is in communication with the portable wearable device and compares values of the identified cardiac parameter with a range of normal values for the cardiac parameter.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient, comprising the steps of:

substantially continuously monitoring a mammalian patient'"'"'s cardiac activity via a portable wearable device having electrodes and a microcontroller in communication with the electrodes;

automatically detecting features in the monitored cardiac activity indicative of abnormal cardiac function; and

in response to an abnormal detected cardiac function in the detecting step, automatically alerting at least one person of the detected abnormal cardiac function of the patient.

2. A method for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, upon detecting abnormal cardiac function, requesting data from the patient concerning ordinary patient activity that corresponds to the detected abnormal cardiac function.

3. A method for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, said automatically alerting step comprises the step of alerting the patient on the patient'"'"'s communication device.

4. A method for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 3, wherein in the case of abnormal heart rate, said automatically alerting step comprises the step of alerting the patient on the patient'"'"'s communication device via local connection between the portable wearable device and the communication device.

5. A method for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, said automatically alerting step comprises the step of alerting a remote healthcare practitioner via local connection between the portable wearable device and the patient'"'"'s communication device and thence to the remote healthcare practitioner.

6. A method for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, further comprising the step of causing to be administered at least one medication corresponding to the detected abnormal cardiac function.

7. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 6, wherein the patient is human and wherein said automatic medication administration step comprises the step of alerting the patient to self-administer the at least one medication.

8. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 7, wherein said alerting the patient step comprises at least one of:

i) sending a message to the patient'"'"'s communication device;

or

ii) causing the portable/wearable device to emit a human-perceivable message.

9. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 8, wherein the human-perceivable message comprises at least one of a sound, a light, a vibration, or a change in temperature of an element of the portable wearable device.

10. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, wherein the patient is non-human and wherein said automatic medication administration step comprises the step of alerting a nearby human to administer the at least one medication to the patient.

11. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 6, wherein said alerting a nearby human step further comprises at least one of the following steps:

i) sending a message to the nearby human'"'"'s communication device;

or

ii) causing the portable wearable device to emit a human-perceivable message.

12. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, wherein said automatic medication administration step comprises the step of administering the at least one medication via the portable wearable device.

13. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 1, said monitoring step further comprising the steps of:

attaching electrodes to the patient;

detecting cardiac activity via the electrodes;

creating signals corresponding to the detected cardiac activity, said signals enabling identification of at least one detectable cardiac parameter; and

sending the signals to a computer for comparison of a value of the detectable cardiac parameter to a range of normal values for the cardiac parameter.

14. A method for detecting/treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 13, wherein the signal sending step further comprises the step of sending the signals from the portable wearable device to a remote computer server via the patient'"'"'s communication device.

15. System for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient, comprising:

a portable wearable device, having;

a plurality of electrodes adherable to the patient'"'"'s body, said electrodes sensing cardiac activity and creating signals corresponding to the sensed cardiac activity;

a microcontroller in communication with said electrodes, adapted to receive said sensed cardiac activity signals and create digital signals enabling identification of at least one cardiac parameter; and

a remote computer server having read/write memory in communication with said portable wearable device, said server adapted to compare values of said identified at least one cardiac parameter with a range of normal values for said at least one cardiac parameter stored in said read/write memory.

16. System for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 15, further comprising a user interface, residing on a local user communication device in local communication with said portable wearable device, adapted to enable communication between said portable wearable device and said remote computer server and to receive analysis of said identified at least one cardiac parameter by said remote computer server.

17. System for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 16, said user interface adapted to accept user-enterable information and communicate said user-enterable information to said remote computer server.

18. System for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 16, said at least one cardiac parameter comprising at least one of P, Q, R, S, T, and U waves.

19. System for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 16, further comprising a practitioner interface, residing on a healthcare practitioner'"'"'s device in communication with said remote computer server, adapted to enable a healthcare practitioner to review said identified at least one cardiac parameter.

20. System for detecting and treating abnormal cardiac function in a mammalian patient according to claim 15, said portable wearable device further comprising a medication dispensing module having a dispensing mechanism and a quantity of at least one medication, wherein when said remote computer server determines that said identified at least one cardiac parameter is not within a normal range, said remote computer server communicates an instruction to said portable wearable device to dispense a dose of said medication.