Medical monitor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A medical monitor comprising:
- means for receiving a respiration signal indicative of breathing activity;
a first detector means, logically connected to the means for receiving, for sensing, at a first sensitivity, a characteristic of the respiration signal and for producing a first event signal indicative of possible breath;
a second detector means, logically connected to the means for receiving, for sensing, at a second sensitivity, the characteristic of the respiration signal and for producing a second event signal indicative of possible breath;
means for determining, based upon the first and second event signals, whether a breath occurred.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apnea monitor employs dual detectors for determining patient breaths while rejecting cardiac artifacts. The first detector examines a respiration signal at a first sensitivity for apparent breaths. The second detector examines at a second sensitivity to determine if the apparent breath was actually an artifact.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A medical monitor comprising:
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means for receiving a respiration signal indicative of breathing activity; a first detector means, logically connected to the means for receiving, for sensing, at a first sensitivity, a characteristic of the respiration signal and for producing a first event signal indicative of possible breath; a second detector means, logically connected to the means for receiving, for sensing, at a second sensitivity, the characteristic of the respiration signal and for producing a second event signal indicative of possible breath; means for determining, based upon the first and second event signals, whether a breath occurred. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A medical monitor comprising:
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first means for receiving an artifact-coincident signal indicative of an artifact-producing body activity; second means for receiving a respiration signal indicative of breathing sensed by patient sensors; first detector means, logically connected to the second means for receiving, for determining when amplitude of the respiration signal exceeds a first value, and for producing a first event signal for each event where amplitude exceeds the first value; second detector means, logically connected to the second means for receiving, for determining when amplitude of the respiration signal exceeds a second value and for producing a second event signal for each event where amplitude exceeds the second value; storage means for storing time interval values; and logic means, responsive to event signals and logically connected to the storage means, for; receiving each first event signal; receiving each second event signal; determining a second event time interval since the previous second event signal; storing the second event time interval; receiving each artifact-coincident signal; determining an artifact-coincident tie interval since the previous artifact-coincident signal; storing the artifact-coincident time interval;
p2 for each first event signal received, comparing the stored artifact-coincident time interval and the stored second event time interval; anddetermining no breath occurred if the artifact-coincident time interval and the second event time interval are generally equal.
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8. A medical monitor comprising:
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means for receiving electrical signals from patient electrodes; first means for separating from the electrical signals an ECG signal indicative of electrical activity of heart beats; second means for separating from the electrical signals a respiration signal indicative of changes in impedance across electrodes; a first detector means, logically connected to the second means for separating, for determining when amplitude of the respiration signal exceeds a first value, and for producing a first event signal for each event where amplitude exceeds the first value; a second detector means, logically connected to the second means for separating, sensitive to a smaller amplitude, for determining when amplitude of the respiration signal exceeds a second value and for producing a second event signal for each event where amplitude exceeds the second value. storage means for storing time interval values; and logic means, responsive to event signals and logically connected to the storage means, for; receiving each first event signal; receiving each second event signal; determining a second event time interval since the previous second event signal; storing the second event time interval; receiving each ECG signal indicative of a heart beat; determining an ECG time interval since the previous ECG signal; storing the ECG time interval; for each first event signal received, comparing the stored ECG interval and the stored second event time interval; and determining no breath occurred if the ECG time interval and the second event time interval are generally equal. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A medical monitor comprising:
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first means for receiving a patient ECG signal indicative of electrical activity of heart beats; second means for receiving a patient respiration signal indicative of changes in impedance; a first detector means, logically connected to the second means for receiving, for determining when amplitude of the respiration signal exceeds a first value, and for producing a first event signal for each event where amplitude exceeds the first value; a second detector means, logically connected to the second means for receiving, sensitive to a smaller amplitude, for determining when amplitude of the respiration signal exceeds a second value and for producing a second event signal for each event where amplitude exceeds the second value; storage means for storing breath values associated with second event signals and ECG values associated with ECG signals; and logic means, responsive to event signals and logically connected to the storage means, for; receiving each first event signal; receiving each second event signal; storing a breath value corresponding to each second event signal; receiving each ECG signal indicative of a heart beat; storing an ECG value corresponding to each ECG signal; for each first event signal received, inspecting the stored ECG value and the stored breath value; and determining, based upon the ECG value and the breath value, whether a breath occurred. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for discarding artifacts in a signals used for determining cessations of breathing by a patient, comprising:
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sensing a patient ECG signal from patient-mounted electrodes; determining an ECG time interval since the previous ECG signal; sensing an impedance change across the electrode above a first amplitude and generating a first event signal; sensing an impedance change across the electrodes above a second amplitude and generating a second event signal; determining a second event time interval since the previous second event signal; for each first event signal, determining that no breath occurred if the ECG time interval is generally equal to the second event time interval.
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13. A method for discarding artifacts in signals used for determining cessations of breathing by a patient, comprising:
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sensing a patient ECG signal from patient-mounted electrodes; determining an ECG time interval since the previous ECG signal; sensing a trait of impedance change across the electrodes at a first sensitivity and generating a first event signal; sensing the trait of impedance change across the electrode at a second sensitivity and generating a second event signal; determining a second event time interval since the previous second event signal; and for each first event signal, determining that no breath occurred if the ECG time interval is generally equal to the second event time interval.
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14. A medical monitor comprising:
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first means for receiving a patient ECG signal indicative of electrical activity of heart beats; second means for receiving a patient respiration signal indicative of changes ion impedance; a first detector means, logically connected to the second means for receiving, for determining when a trait of the respiration signal exceeds a first value, and for producing a first event signal for each event where the trait exceeds the first value; a second detector means, logically connected to the second means for receiving, at a different second sensitivity, for determining when the trait of the respiration signals exceeds a second value and for producing a second event signal for each event where the trait exceeds the second value; storage means for storing breath value associated with second event signals and ECG values associated with ECG signals; and logic means responsive to event signals and logically connected to the storage means, for; receiving each first event signal; receiving each second event signal; storing a breath value corresponding to each second event signal; receiving each ECG signal indicative of a heart beat; storing an ECG value corresponding to each ECG signal; for each first event signal received, inspecting the stored ECG value and the stored breath value; and determining, based upon the ECG value and the breath value, whether a breath occurred.
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Specification