MEASURING LUNG VOLUME CHANGES BY IMPEDANCE PNEUMOGRAPHY

• US 20150051469A1
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tide Medical Oy
• Original Assignee: Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto
• Inventors: Viik, Jari, Seppa, Ville-Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 10,034,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/384
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424

Abstract

A method, a sensor arrangement, an apparatus and a computer program product for measuring a change in lung volume, having measuring a parameter for impedance pneumography by using at least one electrode configured to be in contact with an arm of a human body and at least one electrode configured to be in skin contact with thorax of a human body.

Claims

1. A method for measuring a change in lung volume, comprising:

measuring a parameter for impedance pneumography by using at least one electrode configured to be in contact with an arm of a human body and at least one electrode configured to be in skin contact with the thorax of a human body.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by using two electrodes configured to be in contact with one arm of the human body and two electrodes configured to be in skin contact with the thorax of the human body on the side opposite to the arm.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized by using two electrodes configured to be in contact with opposite arms of the human body and two electrodes configured to be in skin contact with the thorax on opposite sides of the human body.

4. The method according to claim 1 characterized by preventing the skin contact between the arm and the torso by an insulation material configured to be positioned between the arm and the torso.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the insulation material is configured to be a sleeve preventing the skin contact.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the insulation material is configured to be a shirt or a vest preventing the skin contact.

7. A sensor arrangement for measuring a change in lung volume, comprising at least one electrode configured to be in contact with the arm of a human body and at least one electrode configured to be in skin contact with the thorax of a human body and a transmitter for transmitting measurement data to an apparatus for impedance pneumography.

8. The sensor arrangement according to claim 7, having two electrodes configured to be in contact with one arm of the human body and two electrodes configured to be in skin contact with the thorax of the human body on the side opposite to the arm.

9. The sensor arrangement according to claim 7, having by two electrodes configured to be in contact with opposite arms of the human body and two electrodes configured to be in skin contact with the thorax on opposite sides of the human body.

10. The sensor arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the sensor configured to be in contact with the arm of a human body is configured to be part of an insulation material preventing the skin contact between the arm and the torso.

11. The sensor arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the insulation material is configured to be a sleeve (41, 42) preventing the skin contact.

12. The sensor arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the insulation material is configured to be a shirt or a vest preventing the skin contact.

13. An apparatus for measuring a change in lung volume by impedance pneumography, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code arranged to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

receiving information from a sensor comprising at least one electrode for impedance pneumography configured to be in contact with the arm of a human body and at least one electrode configured to be in skin contact with the thorax of a human body.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for receiving information from a sensor comprising at least one electrode configured to be in contact with an arm of a human body and at least one electrode configured to be in skin contact with the thorax of a human body.