BIOSIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20160113589A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Youngzoon
• Application Number:
  US14/833,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20160113589A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7235 Details of waveform analysis A61B5/349 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

Biosignal processing method and apparatus are provided. The biosignal processing method includes: detecting a biosignal, which is generated by a movement of a heart existing in a second area of a subject, from a first area of the subject; generating of a biosignal waveform from the biosignal; determining a relative position of the first area with respect to the second area based on at least one of the biosignal waveform and a direction of the first area; and converting the biosignal waveform to a reference biosignal waveform based on the relative position.

Claims

1. A biosignal processing method comprising:

detecting from a first area of a subject a biosignal, which is generated by a movement of a heart existing in a second area of the subject;

generating a biosignal waveform from the biosignal;

determining a relative position of the first area with respect to the second area based on at least one of the biosignal waveform and a direction of the first area; and

converting the biosignal waveform to a reference biosignal waveform based on the relative position.

2. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the converting comprises:

reading a transfer function corresponding to the relative position from metadata; and

applying the read transfer function to the biosignal waveform to convert the biosignal waveform to the reference biosignal waveform.

3. The biosignal processing method of claim 2, wherein the transfer function comprises a first transfer function of an amplitude part and a second transfer function of a phase part.

4. The biosignal processing method of claim 3, wherein

the first transfer function is defined as an amplitude ratio between biosignal waveforms detected at different positions, and

the second transfer function is defined as a phase difference between the biosignal waveforms detected at the different positions.

5. The biosignal processing method of claim 3, wherein the converting comprises:

dividing the biosignal waveform into an amplitude part and a phase part by using a discrete Fourier transform;

applying the first transfer function to the amplitude part;

applying the second transfer function to the phase part; and

acquiring the reference biosignal waveform by using a discrete Fourier transform.

6. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the reference biosignal waveform is a biosignal waveform at a reference position.

7. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the reference position is a position at which heights of the first area and the second area are equal to each other.

8. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the biosignal is a photoplethysmography signal.

9. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the direction of the first area is detected by a direction sensor disposed in the first area.

10. The biosignal processing method of claim 9, wherein the direction sensor is a tilt sensor.

11. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the determining the relative position comprises, when a single relative position is expected from the direction of the first area, determining the expected relative position as the relative position.

12. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the determining the relative position comprises, when a plurality of relative positions are expected from the direction of the first area, determining one of the plurality of expected relative positions as the relative position.

13. The biosignal processing method of claim 12, wherein the determining one of the plurality of expected relative positions as the relative position comprises:

extracting factors including at least two of an augmentation index, a minimum systolic time, and a reflect wave time; and

comparing the extracted factors with factors corresponding to the reference biosignal wave.

14. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, wherein the first area is a wrist of the subject.

15. The biosignal processing method of claim 1, further comprising estimating information on a biological condition of the subject by using the reference biosignal waveform.

16. The biosignal processing method of claim 15, wherein the information on the biological condition of the subject includes at least one of blood pressure information and vascular compliance information.

17. A biosignal processing apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a biosignal, which is generated by a movement of a heart existing in a first area of a subject, from a second area of the subject; and

a processor configured to generate a biosignal waveform from the biosignal and convert the biosignal waveform to a reference biosignal waveform based on a relative position of the second area with respect to the first area.

18. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a memory configured to store metadata in which a transfer function for converting the biosignal waveform to the reference biosignal waveform is defined for each position,

wherein the processor is further configured to read a transfer function corresponding to the relative position from the memory and acquire the reference biosignal waveform by applying the read transfer function to the biosignal waveform.

19. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reference biosignal waveform is a biosignal waveform at a reference position.

20. The biosignal processing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a second sensor configured to detect a direction of the second area.

21. A method processing of a biosignal measuring device, the method comprising:

detecting a biosignal from a detection point of the subject on which the biosignal measuring device is placed;

generating a biosignal waveform from the biosignal;

determining a relative position of the biosignal measuring device with respect to a reference point of the subject based on a tilt angle of the biosignal measuring device; and

correcting the biosignal waveform based on the relative position.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the reference point is located at the heart of the subject and the corrected biosignal waveform indicates a blood pressure of the subject.