APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITION

• US 20140058218A1
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Randlov, Jette, Hansen, Jon Ulrich, Poulsen, Jens Ulrik
• Granted Patent: US 10,524,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting a physiological condition in a person, comprising input means for receiving at least two physiological parameters, processing means for determining, from the received physiological parameters, a result signal indicative of the presence or onset of said physiological condition, and output means for generating an output indicative of the result signal. The apparatus further comprises storage means for storing a look-up table comprising a plurality of entries, each entry corresponding to a pre-calculated probability of the presence or onset of said physiological condition, the pre-calculated probabilities being determined by means of a mathematical process from previously monitored physiological parameters; and the processing means is adapted to process the received at least two physiological parameters to identify one of the plurality of entries of the look-up table, and to determine said result signal from the identified entry of the look-up table.

Claims

1. A method of alerting a patient to the risk of the presence of a physiological condition, the method comprising:

receiving at least two physiological parameters from a patient;

determining, from the received physiological parameters, a result signal indicative of the presence or onset of said physiological condition by processing the received physiological parameters to identify one of a plurality of entries of a look-up table, each entry of the look-up up table corresponding to a pre-calculated probability of the presence or onset of said physiological condition;

notifying the patient of the result signal indicative of the presence or onset of said physiological condition.

2. A method for detecting a physiological condition in a person, the method comprising:

providing a storage device adapted to store a look-up table comprising a plurality of entries, each entry corresponding to a pre-calculated probability of the presence or onset of a physiological condition, the pre-calculated probabilities being determined by a mathematical process from previously monitored physiological parameters;

providing a processor adapted to receive at least two physiological parameters and identification of one of the plurality of entries of a look-up table, wherein the identification comprises comparison of at least two physiological parameters against stored values of the look-up table, and wherein the processor is further adapted to determine, from the received physiological parameters, a result signal indicative of the presence or onset of said physiological condition; and

providing an output device adapted to generate an output indicative of the result signal corresponding to a pre-calculated probability of the presence or onset of a physiological condition.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the mathematical process comprises an adaptive learning algorithm.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the mathematical process comprises a reinforcement learning process.

5. A method according to claim 3, further comprising input means for receiving a user input indicative of the presence or absence of said physiological condition.

6. A method according to of claim 3, further comprising an input for receiving a measured quantity indicative of the presence of the physiological condition.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the measured quantity is a measured blood glucose level.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further adapted to update at least the identified entry of the look-up table according to the adaptive process and in response to a user input indicative of the presence or absence of said physiological condition and/or a received measured quantity indicative of the presence of the physiological condition.

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further adapted to discretize the received physiological parameters to obtain one of a plurality of possible combinations of discrete physiological parameters, each of the plurality of combinations being associated to a corresponding one of the plurality of entries of the look-up table.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the processor is adapted to discretize the received physiological parameters by identifying, for each of the received physiological parameters, one of a corresponding number of intervals in which the received physiological parameter is determined to fall;

resulting in a combination of identified intervals, the combination identifying a corresponding entry in the look-up table.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein each of the physiological parameters are discretized with respect to 2-10 respective intervals.

12. A method according claim 2, further comprising an input for receiving the at least two physiological parameters.

13. A method according to claim 2, wherein the at least two physiological parameters consist of 2-10 parameters.

14. A method according to claim 13, where the at least two physiological parameters are selected from the set of parameters consisting of pulse, heart rate variability, skin temperature, skin impedance, respiration frequency, eye movements, muscle tonus, a parameter determined by ECG, a parameter determined by Electroencephalography (EEG), CO₂ content of the blood, a blood glucose measurement.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein one of the at least two physiological parameters is a non-invasive blood glucose measurement.

16. A method according to claim 2, wherein the at least two parameters further include the rate of change of at least one of the physiological parameters.

17. A method according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further adapted to compare the identified entry of the look-up table with a predetermined threshold and where the result signal is indicative of the result of said comparison.

18. A method according to claim 2, wherein the physiological condition is hypoglycaemia or the onset of hypoglycaemia.

19. A method according to claim 2, wherein the output device comprises a means for generating an audible alarm.