SIGNAL ANALYZER SYSTEM FOR MONITORING BIO-MEDIA, ANALYSIS OF MOTION-INDUCED SIGNAL MODULATION

• US 20180035950A1
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Akl, Tony J., Doscher, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,470,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4925 measuring blood gas content, e.g. O2, CO2 , HCO3

Abstract

According to one configuration, a system includes sensor hardware and signal processor resource to monitor and analyze bio-media (such as blood and/or other matter) of a person under test. During operation, the sensor hardware monitors the bio-media of the person under test and produces an output. The monitored output (such as one or more signals) varies in magnitude based at least in part on person-induced movement. The signal processor resource analyzes the output produced by the sensor hardware. Based on the analysis, and detected variation in the output of the sensor hardware as caused by the person'"'"'s movement, the signal processor resource produces a setting for a biometric parameter of interest associated with monitoring the bio-media. Note that the system as described herein can be used to measure different biometric parameters of interest such as venous blood oxygen content, vein stiffness, etc.

Claims

1. An apparatus to measure a biometric parameter of a person under test, the apparatus comprising:

sensor hardware to monitor the person under test and produce an output, the output from the sensor hardware varying based on movement of the person under test; and

signal processor hardware to produce a setting for the biometric parameter based at least in part on a variation in the output caused by the movement.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the sensor hardware produces the output based on monitoring bio-media of the person under test, attributes of the bio-media varying due to the movement of the person under test, the output varying due to movement-induced variations in the bio-media.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

motion detection hardware to produce a motion signal measuring the movement of the person under test, the signal processor hardware using the motion signal as a basis to identify attributes of the movement of the person under test and measure the variation in the output caused by the movement.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the signal processor hardware is operable to produce the setting based at least in part on a ratio of a magnitude of the variation in the output to an average magnitude of the output.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the signal processor hardware is further operable to:

identify a frequency range associated with the movement of the person under test;

produce a filter to pass portions of the output signal in the frequency range; and

pass the output through the filter to measure the variation in the output caused by the movement.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the output includes a portion of an optical signal reflected off bio-media of the person under test monitored by the sensor hardware;

and

wherein the setting for the biometric parameter as produced by the signal processor hardware is a level of oxygen saturation associated with the bio-media monitored by the sensor hardware.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the movement of the person under test sensor hardware is secured to a body part of the person under test;

and

wherein the movement is movement of the body part, which causes the variation in the output as detected by the sensor hardware.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the person under test moves the body part in a manner as specified by instructions provided to the person under test.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the person under test voluntarily controls the movement of a body part of the person under test to cause the variation in the output.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the output includes a first output signal from the sensor hardware, the first output signal varying in magnitude based on the movement of the person under test;

and

wherein the output from the sensor hardware includes a second output signal, the second output signal varying in magnitude based on the movement of the person under test.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the signal processor hardware is further operable to produce a first ratio value, the first ratio value representing a ratio of the magnitude of the variation in the first output signal to an average magnitude of the first output signal;

and

wherein the signal processor hardware is further operable to produce a second ratio value, the second ratio value representing a ratio of the magnitude of the variation in the second output signal to an average magnitude of the second output signal.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the signal processor hardware produces the setting of the biometric parameter based at least in part on dividing the first ratio value by the second ratio value.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the sensor hardware, disposed at an external location of a body of the person under test, non-invasively monitors venous blood flowing through the person under test to produce the output;

and

wherein the setting produced by the signal processor hardware is oxygen saturation in the venous blood.

14. A method to measure a biometric parameter of a person under test, the method comprising:

receiving an output generated by sensor hardware monitoring the person under test, the output varying in magnitude based on movement of the person under test; and

producing a setting for the biometric parameter based at least in part on a detected variation in the output caused by the movement.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the movement is person-induced movement of a body part of the person under test.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the sensor hardware monitors fluid bio-media of the person under test, a volume of the fluid bio-media monitored by the sensor hardware varying due to the movement.

17. The method as in claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a motion signal measuring the movement of the person under test; and

using the motion signal as a basis;

to identify frequency attributes of the movement of the person under test and to measure the variation in the output signal caused by the movement.

18. The method as in claim 14, wherein producing the setting for the biometric parameter includes:

inferring that the detected variation in the output apparatus is caused by the movement of a body part of the person under test based at least in part on a frequency of the variation.

22. The method as in claim 14, wherein the sensor hardware is secured to a body part of the person under test;

and

wherein the movement of the body part causes the variation in the output from the sensor hardware.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:

receive an output generated by sensor hardware monitoring a person under test, the output signal varying based at least in part on movement of the person under test; and

produce a setting for a biometric parameter based on detected variations in the output caused by the movement.