METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING FLUID CONTENT OF TISSUE

• US 20150150477A1
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOLL Medical Israel Limited (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyma Medical Technologies Ltd. (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: WEINSTEIN, Uriel, BERNSTEIN, Assaf, COHEN, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 9,572,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/14 Coupling media or elements to improve sensor contact with skin or tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36578 controlled by mechanical motion of the heart wall, e.g. measured by an accelerometer or microphone

Abstract

Diagnostic apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, which are configured to be disposed at different, respective locations on a thorax of a living body so as to direct radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves from different, respective directions toward a heart in the body and to output RF signals responsively to the waves that are scattered from the heart. Processing circuitry is configured to process the RF signals over time so as to provide a multi-dimensional measurement of a movement of the heart.

Claims

1-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

one or more antennas configured to be disposed on a thorax of a body of a patient so as to direct radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves through a lung in the body and to output signals responsively to the RF electromagnetic waves that have passed through the lung; and

processing circuitry configured to;

process the signals to determine a path characteristic of the RF electromagnetic waves,

compare the path characteristic to one or more benchmark path characteristic values corresponding to identified levels of fluid content of lungs, and

determine fluid content of the lung based on the comparison.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to measure a change in the path characteristic over one or more respiratory cycles of the lung, and to determine the fluid content responsively to the change.

62. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the path characteristic comprises an effective RF path length of the RF electromagnetic waves through the body.

63. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the benchmark path characteristic values comprise a physical distance traversed by the RF electromagnetic waves through the thorax of the body.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the one or more antennas comprise:

a transmitting antenna at a first location on a first side of the thorax, which transmits the RF electromagnetic waves through the lung, and

a receiving antenna, which receives the waves that have passed through the lung at a second location on a second side of the thorax, opposite the first side, and

wherein the physical distance is measured between the first and second locations.

65. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the one or more antennas comprise at least one antenna that is configured to direct the RF electromagnetic waves through the lung toward a heart in the body, and to output the RF signals responsively to the RF electromagnetic waves reflected from the heart.

66. The apparatus of claim 65, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer, which is adjacent to the at least one antenna and is configured to direct ultrasonic waves toward the heart and receive the ultrasonic waves reflected from the heart so as to provide a measure of the physical distance.

67. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the path characteristic comprises an amplitude of the RF electromagnetic waves.

68. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the path characteristic comprises a phase of the RF electromagnetic waves.

69. A method for diagnosis, comprising:

directing radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves from one or more antennas disposed on a thorax of a body of a patient so that the RF electromagnetic waves pass through or reflect off a lung in the body;

outputting signals responsively to the RF electromagnetic waves that have passed through the lung;

processing the signals over time so as to measure a path characteristic of the RF electromagnetic waves;

comparing the measured path characteristic to one or more benchmark path characteristic values corresponding to identified levels of fluid content of lungs; and

determining fluid content of the lung based on the comparison.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein processing the signals comprises measuring a change in the path characteristic over one or more respiratory cycles of the lung, and determining the fluid content responsively to the change.

71. The method of claim 69, wherein the path characteristic comprises an effective RF path length of the RF electromagnetic waves through the body.

72. The method of claim 69, wherein the benchmark path characteristic values comprise a physical distance traversed by the RF electromagnetic waves through the thorax of the body.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein directing RF electromagnetic waves comprises transmitting the RF electromagnetic waves through the lung by a transmitting antenna at a first location on a first side of the thorax, and further comprising:

receiving, by a receiving antenna, the waves that have passed through the lung at a second location on a second side of the thorax, opposite the first side, and

wherein the physical distance is measured between the first and second locations.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein directing RF electromagnetic waves comprises the RF electromagnetic waves through the lung toward a heart in the body, and further comprising:

outputting the RF signals responsively to the RF electromagnetic waves reflected from the heart.

75. The method of claim 74, further comprising:

directing, via an ultrasonic transducer located adjacent to the at least one antenna, ultrasonic waves toward the heart, and

receiving the ultrasonic waves reflected from the heart so as to provide a measure of the physical distance.

76. The method of claim 69, wherein the path characteristic comprises an amplitude of the RF electromagnetic waves.

77. The method of claim 69, wherein the path characteristic comprises a phase of the RF electromagnetic waves.