CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR SENSING DEVICE

• US 20150196209A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Morris, Daniel Scott, Tan, Desney S., Saponas, Timothy Scott, Dietz, Paul Henry, Wilson, Andrew David, Brush, Alice Jane Bernheim, Griffiths, Erin Rebecca
• Application Number:
  US14/522,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20150196209A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• 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 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Various technologies described herein pertain to sensing cardiovascular risk factors of a user. A chair includes one or more sensors configured to output signals indicative of conditions at site(s) on a body of a user. A seat of the chair, a back of the chair, and/or arms of the chair can include the sensor(s). Moreover, the chair includes a collection circuit configured to receive the signals from the sensor(s). A risk factor evaluation component is configured to detect a pulse wave velocity of the user based on the signals from the sensor(s). The risk factor evaluation component is further configured to perform a pulse wave analysis of the user based on a morphology of a pulse pressure waveform of the user, and the pulse pressure waveform is detected based on the signals from the sensor(s).

Claims

1. A system that senses cardiovascular risk factors of a user, comprising:

a chair, comprising;

one or more sensors configured to output signals indicative of conditions at one or more sites on a body of the user, wherein at least one of a seat of the chair, a back of the chair, or arms of the chair comprises the one or more sensors; and

a collection circuit configured to receive the signals from the one or more sensors; and

a risk factor evaluation component configured to;

detect a pulse wave velocity of the user based on the signals from the one or more sensors; and

perform a pulse wave analysis of the user based on a morphology of a pulse pressure waveform of the user, the pulse pressure waveform detected based on the signals from the one or more sensors.

2. The system of claim 1, the risk factor evaluation component configured to derive at least one of a pulse pressure, a blood pressure, an augmentation index, or a systolic ejection time of the user via the pulse wave analysis.

3. The system of claim 1, the risk factor evaluation component configured to infer thoracic impedance based on the signals from the one or more sensors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise one or more pressure sensors that are part of the seat; and

the risk factor evaluation component configured to detect the pulse pressure waveform of the user based on signals from the one or more pressure sensors that are part of the seat.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise optical sensors that are part of the back; and

the risk factor evaluation component configured to detect the pulse wave velocity of the user based on signals from the optical sensors that are part of the back.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the one or more sensors further comprise at least one of optical sensors that are part of the seat or pressure sensors that are part of the seat; and

the risk factor evaluation component configured to detect the pulse wave velocity of the user further based on signals from the optical sensors that are part of the seat or signals from the pressure sensors that are part of the seat.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise;

electrical sensors that are part of the arms; and

at least one of pressure sensors that are part of the seat, optical sensors that are part of the seat, or optical sensors that are part of the back; and

the risk factor evaluation component configured to detect the pulse wave velocity of the user based on;

signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the arms; and

signals from the pressure sensors that are part of the seat, signals from the optical sensors that are part of the seat, or signals from the optical sensors that are part of the back.

8. The system of claim 7, the risk factor evaluation component configured to:

measure an electrocardiogram (EKG) signal of the user based on the signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the arms;

detect a first time at which a pulse leaves a heart of the user based on the EKG signal;

infer a second time at which the pulse arrives at a different site on the body of the user based on the signals from the pressure sensors that are part of the seat, the signals from the optical sensors that are part of the seat, or the signals from the optical sensors that are part of the back;

compute a pulse transit time as a difference between the first time and the second time; and

compute the pulse wave velocity based on the pulse transit time and a distance between the heart and the different site on the body of the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise at least one of pressure sensors that are part of the seat, optical sensors that are part of the seat, or optical sensors that are part of the back;

the collection circuit further configured to receive signals from electrical sensors that are part of a peripheral device communicatively connected to the chair; and

the risk factor evaluation component configured to detect the pulse wave velocity of the user based on;

signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the peripheral device; and

signals from the pressure sensors that are part of the seat, signals from the optical sensors that are part of the seat, or signals from the optical sensors that are part of the back.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise electrical sensors that are part of the arms, each of the arms comprising:

a first electrode formed of a first electrically conductive material;

a second electrode formed of a second electrically conductive material;

a spacer formed of a non-conductive material;

the first electrode and the second electrode being separated by the spacer; and

the first electrode and the second electrode arranged in an interlocking zigzag pattern.

11. The system of claim 1, the chair comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory comprising the risk factor evaluation component, the risk factor evaluation component being executable by the processor.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computing system, comprising;

at least one processor; and

memory that comprises the risk factor evaluation component, the risk factor evaluation component being executable by the processor; and

the chair further comprising;

a communication circuit that sends the signals from the one or more sensors to the computing system.

13. A chair, comprising:

a seat;

one or more pressure sensors configured to output signals indicative of conditions at one or more sites on a body of a user, the seat comprising the one or more pressure sensors;

a collection circuit configured to receive the signals from the one or more pressure sensors; and

a risk factor evaluation component configured to;

detect a pulse pressure waveform of the user based on the signals from the one or more pressure sensors; and

perform a pulse wave analysis of the user based on a morphology of the pulse pressure waveform of the user.

14. The chair of claim 13, the risk factor evaluation component configured to derive at least one of a pulse pressure, a blood pressure, an augmentation index, or a systolic ejection time of the user via the pulse wave analysis.

15. The chair of claim 13, wherein the morphology comprises:

shape features of the pulse pressure waveform, the shape features comprise a derivative and a peak-to-peak amplitude; and

waveform landmarks of the pulse pressure waveform, the waveform landmarks comprise a systolic peak, a diastolic foot, a dicrotic notch, and an anacrotic notch.

16. The chair of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one of electrical sensors that are part of arms of the chair or the collection circuit configured to receive signals from electrical sensors that are part of a peripheral device communicatively connected to the chair;

the risk factor evaluation component configured to detect a pulse wave velocity of the user based on;

signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the arms or the signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the peripheral device; and

the signals from the one or more pressure sensors.

17. A chair, comprising:

at least one of electrical sensors that are part of arms of the chair or a collection circuit configured to receive signals from electrical sensors that are part of a peripheral device communicatively connected to the chair;

at least one of pressure sensors that are part of a seat of the chair, optical sensors that are part of the seat, or optical sensors that are part of a back of the chair; and

a risk factor evaluation component configured to detect a pulse wave velocity of a user based on;

signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the arms or the signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the peripheral device; and

signals from the pressure sensors that are part of the seat, signals from the optical sensors that are part of the seat, or signals from the optical sensors that are part of the back.

18. The chair of claim 17, the risk factor evaluation component configured to:

measure an electrocardiogram (EKG) signal of the user based on the signals from the electrical sensors that are part of the arms or the electrical sensors that are part of the peripheral device;

detect a first time at which a pulse leaves a heart of the user based on the EKG signal;

infer a second time at which the pulse arrives at a different site on the body of the user based on the signals from the pressure sensors that are part of the seat, the optical sensors that are part of the seat, or the optical sensors that are part of the back;

compute a pulse transit time as a difference between the first time and the second time; and

compute the pulse wave velocity based on the pulse transit time and a distance between the heart and the different site on the body of the user.

19. The chair of claim 17, further comprising the electrical sensors that are part of the arms, each of the arms comprising:

a first electrode formed of a first electrically conductive material;

a second electrode formed of a second electrically conductive material;

a spacer formed of a non-conductive material;

the first electrode and the second electrode being separated by the spacer; and

the first electrode and the second electrode arranged in an interlocking zigzag pattern.

20. The chair of claim 17, further comprising the pressure sensors that are part of the seat of the chair;

the risk factor evaluation component configured to;

detect a pulse pressure waveform of the user based on the signals from the pressure sensors; and

perform a pulse wave analysis of the user based on a morphology of the pulse pressure waveform of the user.