EARLY ACUTE FALL RISK DETECTION

• US 20150223761A1
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: MERIHEIN, Ulf, KOSTIAINEN, Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 11,154,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• 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: 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: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1065 with electronic monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/108 Weighing means

Abstract

A monitoring system and method for early detection of fall risk. A rise-state of a subject occupying a bed is detected. In response to the detection of the rise-state, blood pressure measurement of the subject is triggered. An alarm when the measured blood pressure is not within a selected range of blood pressures.

Claims

1. A monitoring system, comprising:

detecting device configured to detect a rise-state of a subject occupying a bed;

a triggering device configured to trigger, in response to the detection of the rise-state, blood pressure measurement of the subject;

comparing device configured to compare a blood pressure measurement value to at least one threshold value for a selected range of blood pressures; and

an inducing device configured to induce an alarm when the measured blood pressure is not within the selected range of blood pressures.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the detecting device includes a sensor attached to the subject.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the detecting device includes a sensor attached to the bed.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor includes an altimeter.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer or an inclinometer.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect bed occupancy.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer or an inclinometer.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein the accelerometer or inclinometer configured as the sensor configured to detect the rise state.

9. The monitoring system of claim 2, further comprising a control unit communicatively coupled to the sensor.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is included in a local element detachably attachable to the subject.

11. The monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit comprises a wearable unit including a pressure pulse element.

12. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit comprises a remote node.

13. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to receive ballistocardiological signals from the accelerometer or inclinometer for detecting bed occupancy.

14. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to receive signals representing longitudinal or transversal inclinations of the bed from an inclinometer, for detecting the rise state of the subject.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to detect the rise-state of the subject from a successive combination of a signal representing longitudinal inclination of the bed and a signal representing transversal inclination of the bed.

16. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the threshold value is a predefined value stored in the control unit.

17. The monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the threshold value comprises a pre-set value input for the subject to the control unit.

18. A sensor unit for a system that includes a control unit configured to detect rise state of a subject occupying a bed by identifying a specific set of detected motions of the subject or bed, the sensor unit comprising:

at least one motion sensor;

a casing configured to enable mechanical coupling of the at least one motion sensor to the bed or the subject, wherein the mechanical coupling enables generation of a motion signal that represents a detected motion of the bed or the subject, and wherein the detected motion is one of the specific set of detected motions of the bed; and

an interface configured to transmit motion signals to a control unit of the system.

19. The sensor of claim 18, wherein the motion sensor comprises an inclinometer, and a rise state of the subject is determined by identifying the specific set of detected motions of the bed with the inclinometer.

20. A bed comprising the sensor unit of claim 18.

21. A method for detecting fall risk of a subject, said method comprising:

detecting a rise-state of a subject occupying a bed;

triggering, in response to the detection of the rise-state, blood pressure measurement of the subject;

comparing a blood pressure measurement value to at least one threshold value for a selected range of blood pressures; and

inducing an alarm when the measured blood pressure is not within the selected range of blood pressures.

22. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium and readable by a computer, and encoding instructions for executing the method of claim 21.