STRESS-MEASURING SYSTEM

• US 20150265212A1
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Bruekers, Alphons Antonius Maria Lambertus, Bulut, Murtaza, Mihajlovic, Vojkan, Ouwerkerk, Martin, Westerink, Joanne Henriette Desiree Monique
• Granted Patent: US 10,758,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/029 adapted for auto-initiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• 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 5/7405 : using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 : characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stress-measuring system for determining a level of stress of a user, in particular for monitoring an upcoming burnout, the system (10) comprising: an alarm clock (12) for initiating an alarm at an arbitrary preset time, wherein the system (10) comprises an interface (14) for switching off the alarm; a vital sign sensor (16) for measuring a first vital sign of the user while the user operates the interface (14); and a processing unit (18) for determining the level of stress of the user based on the sensed first vital sign.

Claims

1. Stress-measuring system for determining a level of stress of a user, in particular for monitoring an upcoming burnout, the system comprising:

an alarm clock for initiating an alarm at an arbitrary preset time, wherein the system comprises an interface for switching off the alarm;

a vital sign sensor for measuring a first vital sign of the user while the user operates the interface, herein the vital sign sensor is integrated into the interface of the alarm clock; and

a processing unit for determining the level of stress of the user based on the sensed first vital sign.

3. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the alarm clock is configured to switch-off the alarm only if the user keeps the interface operated for a threshold time period (Δ

t) that is needed to measure the vital sign, otherwise to continue the alarm or to start the alarm again.

4. Stress-measuring system according to claim 3, further comprising a guiding unit that outputs an audible, visual and/or tactile guiding signal as soon as the user operates the interface to switch off the alarm, wherein the guiding signal is configured to guide the user to keep the interface of the alarm clock operated for the threshold period of time (Δ

t).

5. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the vital sign sensor is a PPG sensor that is integrated into the interface of the alarm clock and configured to measure a heart rate at a fingertip of the user.

6. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the vital sign sensor comprises a vital signs camera using remote PPG to determine a heart rate of the user.

7. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the vital sign sensor is an ECG sensor, wherein at least one ECG electrode is integrated into the interface of the alarm clock.

8. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising a fingerprint sensor that is integrated into the interface of the alarm clock.

9. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing the measured first vital signs of the user.

10. Stress-measuring system according to claim 9, wherein the processing unit is further configured to evaluate a chance for an upcoming burnout based on a tendency of a plurality of measured first vital signs of the same user stored in the storage unit.

11. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising a feedback unit for indicating a burnout status to the user in audible, visual or tactile form, and wherein the feedback unit is configured to indicate the burnout status only upon request of the user.

13. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising an activity sensor that is arranged in or around a bed of the user and configured to unobtrusively measure a second vital sign of the user when the user is in bed, and wherein the processing unit is adapted to determine the level of stress based on the first vital sign and/or the second vital sign.

14. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the activity sensor is furthermore configured to measure a movement of the user in bed and to derive a sleep-wake pattern therefrom, and wherein the processing unit is adapted to determine the level of stress based on the first vital sign and/or the second vital sign and/or the sleep-wake pattern.

15. Stress-measuring system according to claim 13, wherein the activity sensor comprises a pressure or piezoelectric sensor.

16. Stress-measuring system according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a minimum of the measured second vital sign of the user during sleep, and wherein the processing unit is adapted to include said minimum into the determination of the stress level.

17. Stress-measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to include at least one of the following information into the determination of the stress level:

a time information, a calendar information, in particular a calendar information if it is a weekday, a weekend or a holiday, an information about a family history of the user and/or an information about a physical activity of the user.

2. (canceled)

12. (canceled)