Apparatus and method for monitoring the vital status of biological materials

• US 6,409,663 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steven F. Mercereau
• Original Assignee: Steven F. Mercereau
• Inventors: Mercereau, Steven F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZMAL, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/439,873
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/595, 600/549, 600/341, 368/10, 340/573.1, 128/898, 128/899
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring the vital status of a biological material in which a pair of sensors are held in a housing for sensing separate respective stimulus of a biological material. A controller operatively communicates with the pair of sensors for receiving signals reflective of the respective stimulus measured by the sensors. An evaluator generates a status signal representative of the state of the biological material based on the signals, and a reporter displays the status signal, so that the vital status of the biological material can be monitored. A method of monitoring the vital status and adjusting delivery of a medicant is disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring a vital status indicator of a biological material, comprising:

a temperature sensor for sensing periodically a temperature of a biological material to be monitored for determining an indicator of a vital status of the biological material, said temperature sensor adapted to create a first electrical signal representative of the sensed temperature;

a pressure sensor for sensing periodically a pressure of the biological material substantially contemporaneously with the sensing by the temperature sensor and adapted to create a second electrical signal representative of the sensed pressure;

a signal transmitting pathway transmitting said first and second electrical signals to a signal receiver adapted to receive at least two of said first and second electrical signals for processing of the signals;

an evaluator that compares the difference in the two first electrical signals representative of temperatures sensed at a first time and a second time with the difference in the two second electrical signals representative of the pressures sensed, determine the indicator of the vital status as a representative value indicative of the state of the biological material; and

a reporter for communicating the indicator of the vital status of the biological material,

whereby the vital status of the biological material can be monitored.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a data storage device containing baseline values for comparing with the determined vital status.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the baseline values are selected from a group comprising measured values for a selected patient, values based on ranges of ages, weights, heights, and gender, and normative values for the biological material.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the reporter comprises a display device for communicating a visual representation of the determined vital status and the baseline value.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a medicant delivery apparatus for communicating a medicant from a supply of the medicant to a patient; and

a communicator communicating a signal representative of a medicant delivery rate to the medicant delivery apparatus based on the comparison of the determined vital status and the baseline value,

whereby the flow of the medicant from the supply to the patient is adjusted.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensors are contained within a catheter.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensors are contained in a probe.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensors are contained in a sheet for overlying the biological material for sensing the temperature and the pressure thereof.

9. The apparatus as recited in claims 8, wherein the sheet includes a plurality of spaced-apart pairs of temperature and pressure sensors for communicating measurements of stimuli across a surface covered by the sheet.

10. A method of diagnosing the vital status of a biological material, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a temperature sensor for sensing periodically a temperature of a biological material to be monitored for determining an indicator of a vital status of the biological material, said temperature sensor adapted to create a first electrical signal representative of the sensed temperature;

(b) providing a pressure sensor for sensing periodically a pressure of the biological material and adapted to create a second electrical signal representative of the sensed pressure substantially contemporaneously with the sensing by the temperature sensor;

(c) communicating by a signal transmitting pathway said first and second electrical signals to a signal receiver adapted to receive at least two of said first and second electrical signals for processing of the signals;

(d) comparing the difference in the two first electrical signals representative of temperatures sensed at a first time and a second time with the difference in the two second electrical signals representative of the pressures sensed, to determine the indicator of the vital status as a representative value indicative of the state of the biological material; and

(e) reporting the indicator of the vital status of the biological material, whereby the vital status of the biological material can be monitored.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

recording the indicator determined at a first period of time;

determining the indicator for a second subsequent period;

comparing the indicators for the first and second periods.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step (f) comparing the determined vital status indicator with a baseline value.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the baseline value is selected from a group comprising measured values for a selected patient, values based on ages, weights, heights, and gender, and normative values for the biological material.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting a delivery of a medicant based on the comparison step (f).

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the reporting step (e) comprises displaying a realtime image of the determined vital status indicator and the baseline value.