Alertness Detection

• US 20150112159A1
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert F. Dudley
• Original Assignee: Quanttus Inc
• Inventors: He, David Da, Bijjani, Richard Robehr
• Application Number:
  US14/522,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 : Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 : for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 : Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 : Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 : Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 : Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 : Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 : Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 : Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 : specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 : Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 : Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 : Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 : Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 : Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• 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: G06F 21/32 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 : based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The technology described in this document is embodied in a method that includes processing data in a first dataset that represents time-varying information about at least one pulse pressure wave propagating through blood in a subject acquired at a location of the subject. The data in the first and second datasets is acquired while the subject is in a situation that requires at least a predetermined amount of alertness of the subject.

Claims

1. A method comprising processing data in a first dataset that represents time-varying information about at least one pulse pressure wave propagating through blood in a subject acquired at a location of the subject, wherein the data is acquired while the subject is in a situation that requires at least a predetermined amount of alertness of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing data in a second dataset that represents time-varying information about motion of the subject acquired at the location of the subject.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information about at least one pulse pressure wave propagating through blood in the subject comprises photoplethysmographic (PPG) data and the information about motion of the subject comprises one or both of motioncardiogram (MoCG) data and gross motion data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is acquired continuously.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is acquired at a frequency of at least 16 Hz.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is acquired at a frequency of between 75 Hz and 85 Hz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is acquired at a single location of the subject.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is acquired by a device worn by the subject.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is mobile and does not reduce a mobility of the subject.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the device processes the data.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the single location is an arm of the subject.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the single location is a wrist of the subject.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the situation is one in which a likelihood of harm to one or more human lives is increased if the alertness of the subject is below the predetermined amount.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the situation is one in which a likelihood of damage to one or more properties is increased if the alertness of the subject is below the predetermined amount.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the situation is one in which a likelihood of economic damage is increased if the alertness of the subject is below the predetermined amount.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the situation comprises one or more of air traffic control, intelligence analysis, vehicle driving, machinery driving, security guarding, baggage screening, and aircraft piloting.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the processed data to derive a measure of alertness of the subject.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the measure of alertness of the subject is based on one or more of a heart rate, a respiratory rate, a blood pressure, and an activity level of the subject.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising activating an alarm on a device worn by the subject if the measure of alertness of the subject falls below a threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the device worn by the subject acquires the data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the device worn by the subject processes the data.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising causing a speed of a vehicle being operated by the subject to be decreased if the measure of alertness of the subject falls below a threshold.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising causing an alarm in a vehicle being operated by the subject to be activated if the measure of alertness of the subject falls below a threshold.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising causing a device being operated by the subject to be turned off if the measure of alertness of the subject falls below a threshold.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising causing an operation switch of a vehicle being operated by the subject to be turned off if the measure of alertness of the subject falls below a threshold.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising assigning a task to the subject based on the measure of alertness.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the subject is put into an athletic contest if the measure of alertness of the subject is above a threshold.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the subject is assigned a particular combat task if the measure of alertness of the subject is above a threshold.

29. A biofeedback device configured to be worn by a subject, the device comprising:

a light source configured to emit light toward the skin of the subject;

an optical sensor configured to;

receive the emitted light after the emitted light reflects off of the skin of the subject; and

provide data that corresponds to a characteristic of the received light, the data representing time-varying information about at least one pulse pressure wave propagating through blood in the subject acquired by the optical sensor at a location of the subject; and

a processor configured to;

receive data from one or both of the light-emitting element and the optical sensor; and

process the data to derive a measure of alertness of the subject.

30. The biofeedback device of claim 29, further comprising a motion sensor configured to provide data that represents time-varying information about motion of the subject acquired by the motion sensor at the location of the subject, wherein the processor is further configured to receive and process the data from the motion sensor.

31. One or more machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising processing data in a first dataset that represents time-varying information about at least one pulse pressure wave propagating through blood in a subject acquired at a location of the subject, wherein the data is acquired while the subject is in a situation that requires at least a predetermined amount of alertness of the subject.

32. The one or more machine-readable storage devices of claim 31, wherein the operations further comprise processing data in a second dataset that represents time-varying information about motion of the subject acquired at the location of the subject.