DISCORDANCE MONITORING

• US 20190104948A1
• Filed: 10/11/2018
• Published: 04/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AliveCor Inc.
• Original Assignee: AliveCor Inc.
• Inventors: Albert, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for cardiac monitoring. In particular, the systems, devices, and methods described herein may be used to conveniently sense the presence of an intermittent arrhythmia in an individual. The systems, devices, and methods described herein may be further configured to sense an electrocardiogram

Claims

1. A method of cardiac monitoring, comprising:

sensing an activity level of a user with a first sensor on a wristlet or a smartwatch worn by the user;

when the activity level is resting, sensing a heart rate parameter of the user with a second sensor on the smartwatch or wristlet;

determining a discordance is present between the activity level value and the heart rate parameter;

based on the presence of the discordance, indicating to the user, using the smartwatch or wristlet, a possibility of an arrhythmia being present; and

receiving electric signals of the user from an electrocardiogram sensor (“

ECG”

) on the smartwatch or wristlet to confirm a presence of the arrhythmia, wherein the ECG sensor comprises a first electrode and a second electrode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate parameter comprises an indication of a heart rate variability, and wherein the arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate parameter comprises an indication a heart rate variability and a heart rate value, and wherein the arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heart rate parameter comprises an indication a heart rate value, and wherein the arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein indicating to the user further comprises:

instructing the user to record an ECG using the smartwatch or wristlet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the arrhythmia is selected from a group consisting of atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heartrate parameter is a PPG signal.

26. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 25, wherein the heartrate parameter is a heartrate variability (“

HRV”

) value, wherein the HRV value is derived from the PPG signal.

27. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 25, wherein the heartrate parameter is a heartrate, wherein the heartrate is derived from the PPG signal.

28. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 1 further comprising:

displaying an ECG rhythm strip from the electric signals on the smartwatch or wristlet.

29. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is located on the smartwatch or wristlet in a location where the first electrode contacts a first side of the user'"'"'s body while the user wears the smartwatch or wristlet, and the second electrode is located on the smartwatch or wristlet in a location where the user must actively contact the second electrode with a second side of the user'"'"'s body opposite from the first side.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. A smartwatch or wristlet, comprising:

a processor,

a first sensor configured to sense an activity level value of a user, wherein the first sensor is coupled to the processor,

a photopletysmogram (“

PPG”

) sensor configured to sense a heart rate parameter of the user when the activity level value is resting, wherein the PPG sensor is coupled to the processor;

an electrocardiogram (“

ECG”

) sensor configured to sense electrical signals of a heart, wherein the ECG sensor comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and wherein the ECG sensor is coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

determine if a discordance is present between the activity level value of the user and the heart rate parameter of the user;

based on the presence of the discordance, indicate to the user a possibility of an arrhythmia being present;

receive electric signals of the user from the ECG sensor to confirm the presence of the arrhythmia.

11. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the heart rate parameter comprises an indication of a heart rate variability, and wherein the arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation.

12. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the heart rate parameter comprises an indication of a heart rate variability and a heart rate value, and wherein the arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation.

13. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the heart rate parameter comprises an indication of a heart rate value, and wherein the arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation.

14. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein indicating to the user further comprises:

instructing the user to record an ECG using the ECG sensor.

15. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the arrhythmia is selected from a group consisting of atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia.

19. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the heartrate parameter is a PPG signal.

20. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 19, wherein the heartrate parameter is a heartrate variability (“

HRV”

) value, wherein the HRV value is derived from the PPG signal.

21. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 19, wherein the heartrate parameter is a heartrate, wherein the heartrate is derived from the PPG signal.

22. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, the processing device further to:

display an ECG rhythm strip from the electric signals.

23. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the PPG sensor is located on the back of the smartwatch or wristlet.

24. The smartwatch or wristlet according to claim 10, wherein the first electrode is located on the smartwatch or wristlet where the first electrode contacts a first side of the user'"'"'s body while the user wears the smartwatch or wristlet, and the second electrode is located on the smartwatch or wristlet where the user must actively contact the second electrode with a second side of the user'"'"'s body opposite from the first side.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)