BLOOD VISCOSITY MEASURING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20150099988A1
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andre Cernasov, Nathalie Cernasov
• Original Assignee: Andre Cernasov, Nathalie Cernasov
• Inventors: Cernasov, Andre, Cernasov, Nathalie
• Application Number:
  US14/047,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20150099988A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/483
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02035 Determining blood viscosity
• 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 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

According to an example, a blood viscosity value of blood flowing through a blood vessel may be calculated by detecting a deformation of a blood vessel due to a pulsatile wave of blood flowing through the blood vessel, determining a pulsatile wave velocity of the pulsatile wave based upon the detected deformation, and calculating the blood viscosity value of the blood flowing through the blood vessel based on a predetermined relationship between blood viscosity and the determined pulsatile wave velocity.

Claims

1. A method of calculating a blood viscosity value of blood flowing through a blood vessel comprising:

detecting a deformation of the blood vessel due to a pulsatile wave of blood flowing through the blood vessel;

determining a pulsatile wave velocity of the pulsatile wave based upon the detected deformation; and

calculating the blood viscosity value of the blood flowing through the blood vessel based on a predetermined relationship between blood viscosity and the determined pulsatile wave velocity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the pulsatile wave velocity comprises:

detecting the deformation of the blood vessel due to a pulsatile wave of blood flowing through the blood vessel at a first position and at a second position along the blood vessel;

determining a time interval between an arrival of the pulsatile wave at the first position and an arrival of the pulsatile wave at the second position based upon detected deformations of the blood vessel at the first and second positions; and

dividing a distance between the first position and the second position by the determined time interval to determine the pulsatile wave velocity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the deformation of the blood vessel comprises:

detecting a shape of the deformation of the blood vessel, and

wherein determining the pulsatile wave velocity comprises determining the pulsatile wave velocity based upon the detected shape of the deformation of the blood vessel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the shape of the deformation of the blood vessel comprises taking multiple measurements of a displacement of a wall of the blood vessel at a front of the pulsatile wave as the pulsatile wave front travels though the blood vessel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the pulsatile wave velocity of blood flowing through the blood vessel is based upon at least one implanted sensor positioned in close proximity to the blood vessel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the pulsatile wave velocity of blood flowing through the blood vessel includes detecting, by an externally mounted sensor held against the skin of a user whose blood viscosity is being measured, the deformation of the blood vessel through the skin of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the pulsatile wave velocity comprises:

tracking a time at which a signal emitted by the heart of the user is detected;

determining a time difference between the tracked time at which the signal is detected and a time at which the deformation of the blood vessel is detected; and

wherein determining the pulsatile wave velocity of the pulsatile wave comprises dividing an equivalent arterial distance measured from the heart of the user to the externally mounted sensor by the determined time difference to determine the pulsatile wave velocity.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining, during an initial calibration stage, the equivalent arterial distance by:

measuring an initial blood viscosity at a location of the sensor based upon an analysis of blood taken at the location of the sensor;

calculating a velocity of the pulsatile wave based upon the measured initial blood viscosity; and

calculating the equivalent arterial distance based upon the calculated velocity of the pulsatile wave and a determined time difference between the detected deformation of the blood vessel and a detected signal emitted by the heart of the user.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting the signal emitted by the heart of the user by measuring an audible or electrical characteristic of activity of the heart.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the deformation of the blood vessel further comprises subcutaneously detecting the deformation of the blood vessel by at least one implantable sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the deformation of the blood vessel includes sensing at least one of physical, electrical, and acoustical changes caused by the deformation of the blood vessel.

12. A blood viscosity measurement and monitoring system, comprising:

at least one sensor to detect a deformation of a blood vessel;

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor to;

receive a signal indicating the detected deformation of the blood vessel from the at least one sensor;

determine a pulsatile wave velocity of blood flowing through the blood vessel based upon the signal; and

calculate a blood viscosity value of the blood flowing through the blood vessel based on a predetermined relationship between blood viscosity and the determined pulsatile wave velocity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor includes:

a first sensor to detect a first deformation of the blood vessel due to a pulsatile wave of blood flowing through the blood vessel at a first position along the blood vessel; and

a second sensor to detect a second deformation of the blood vessel at a second position downstream of the first position along the blood vessel;

wherein the controller is to determine a time interval between the first deformation and the second deformation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein to calculate the pulsatile wave velocity, the controller is to divide a distance between the first position and the second position by the determined time interval.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor is to be imbedded in a ring implantable within a user, wherein the ring is to surround, in close proximity to, the blood vessel.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor includes a pulsatile wave displacement sensor to detect the deformation of the blood vessel.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor includes a sensor to detect an activity related to a generation of the pulsatile wave.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor detects an audible or electrical characteristic of activity of the heart.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions for calculating a blood viscosity level, the machine readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

detect a deformation of a blood vessel due to a pulsatile wave of blood flowing through the blood vessel;

determine a pulsatile wave velocity of the pulsatile wave based upon the detected deformation; and

calculate the blood viscosity value of the blood flowing through the blood vessel based on a predetermined relationship between blood viscosity and the determined pulsatile wave velocity.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein to determine the pulsatile wave velocity, the machine readable instructions are further to:

detect a deformation of a blood vessel due to a pulsatile wave of blood flowing through the blood vessel at a first position and at a second position along the blood vessel;

determine a time interval between an arrival of the pulsatile wave at the first position and an arrival of the pulsatile wave at the second position based upon the detected deformations of the blood vessel at the first and second positions; and

dividing a distance between the first position and the second position by the determined time interval to determine the pulsatile wave velocity.