Physiological Monitoring Method and System

• US 20150173671A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beddit Oy (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Paalasmaa, Joonas, Leppkorpi, Lasse, Palttala, Juhani
• Granted Patent: US 11,298,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• 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 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• 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

Abstract

A method and system of physiological monitoring, includes measuring a quantity relating to a first subject with a first sensor positioned in or in proximity of the first subject and configured to provide a first signal, measuring a quantity relating to a second subject with a second sensor positioned in or in proximity of the second subject and configured to provide a second signal, and analyzing the first and the second signal and the interrelation of the first and second signal in order to determine at least one event relating to the first and/or the second subject.

Claims

1. A method of physiological monitoring, comprising

measuring a quantity relating to a first subject with a first sensor positioned on or in proximity of the first subject and configured to provide a first signal;

measuring a quantity relating to a second subject with a second sensor positioned on or in proximity of the second subject and configured to provide a second signal; and

analyzing the first and the second signal and the interrelation of the first and second signal in order to determine at least one event relating to the first and/or the second subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second subject are in a bed and the first and the second sensor are positioned in or in proximity of the bed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second sensor are configured to measure a same quantity relating to the subject.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the quantity is heart rate.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the quantity is respiration.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the quantity is related to movement.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the quantity is audio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is the presence of the subject.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is movement of the subject.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is sounds made by the subject.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to analysis the signals are transmitted to a control unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signals are transmitted independently with added information on the association of the signals to the subjects.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the signals are transmitted together.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are unobtrusive sensors.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second sensor comprise at least one of force sensors, wearable movement sensors and radars.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a quantity relating to the first and/or second subject in bed with a third sensor and/or fourth sensor positioned in or in proximity of the first and/or the second subject and configured to provide a third and/or fourth signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising analyzing the first, the second, the third and/or the fourth signal and their interrelation in order to determine at least one event relating to the first and/or the second subject.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the third and/or fourth sensor comprise audio sensors.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a sleep quality determination based on the analysis.

43. A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer code for causing the performance of the method of claim 1, when executed by an apparatus.

44. A memory medium comprising the computer program product of claim 43.

20. A physiological monitoring system, comprising

a first sensor positioned in or in proximity of a first subject and configured to measure a quantity relating to the first subject and to provide a first signal;

a second sensor positioned in or in proximity of a second subject and configured to measure a quantity relating to the second subject and to provide a second signal; and

a control unit configured to analyze the first and the second signal and the interrelation of the first and second signal in order to determine at least one event relating to the first and/or the second subject.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and the second subject are in a bed and the first and the second sensor are positioned in or in proximity of the bed.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and the second sensor are configured to measure a same quantity relating to the subject.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the quantity is heart rate.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the quantity is respiration.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the quantity is related to movement.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the quantity is audio.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the event is the presence of the subject.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the event is movement of the subject.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the event is sounds made by the subject.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensors are configured to transmit the signals to the control unit prior to analysis.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the sensors are configured to transmit the signals independently with added information on the association of the signals to the subjects.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the sensors are configured to transmit the signals together.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is positioned in proximity of the bed.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is integrated into an electronic device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the electronic device comprises a smartphone.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is implemented in a cloud service.

37. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit is configured to provide a sleep quality determination based on the analysis.

38. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second sensors comprise unobtrusive sensors.

39. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and the second sensor comprise at least one of force sensors, wearable movement sensors and radars.

40. The system of claim 20, further comprising a third sensor and/or fourth sensor positioned in or in proximity of the first and/or the second subject and configured to measure a quantity relating to the first and/or second subject in bed and to provide a third and/or fourth signal.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the control unit is further configured to analyze the first, the second, the third and/or the fourth signal and their interrelation in order to determine at least one event relating to the first and/or the second subject.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the third and/or fourth sensor comprise audio sensors.