Vital signs monitor used for conditioning a patient's response

• US 7,481,772 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sotera Wireless Incorporated (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Triage Wireless, Inc. (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Banet, Matthew John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser; Robert L
• Application Number:
  US11/160,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/01 Emergency care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/16 Details of sensor housings or probes; Details of structural supports for sensors A61B2560/0462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• 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 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6832 using adhesives A61B5/259 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The invention provides a method for monitoring a patient, comprising the following steps: 1) outfitting the patient with a ambulatory blood pressure monitor that features an optical system for measuring blood pressure without using a cuff, and a wireless system configured to send and receive information sent from an Internet-based system through a wireless network; 2) sending from the Internet-based system to the ambulatory blood pressure monitor a signal that indicates a blood pressure level; 3) comparing a blood pressure value measured with the ambulatory blood pressure monitor to the blood pressure level; and 4) generating a signal in response to the comparing step.

Claims

1. A system for continuously monitoring an ambulatory patient'"'"'s blood pressure, comprising:

a patch sensor that attaches to the patient'"'"'s skin, comprising;

i) an optical sensor comprising at least one light source and a photodetector configured to detect radiation reflected from the patient'"'"'s blood vessel and configured to generate an optical signal; and

ii) an electrode that substantially surrounds the optical sensor and is configured to detect an electrical impulse from a patient to generate an electrical signal; and

,

a processing component configured to be worn on the patient'"'"'s body, the processing component in electrical communication with the patch sensor and housed in an enclosure and separated from the patch sensor through a cable, and comprising a microprocessor configured to;

i) process the optical and electrical signals to generate optical and electrical waveforms;

ii) operate an algorithm that continuously determines blood pressure values by processing the optical and electrical waveforms based on a time difference between the arrivals of these waveforms to determine a transit time;

iii) receive and store pre-determined calibration parameters and blood pressure threshold values;

iv) continuously calculate blood pressure values from the transit time and pre-determined calibration parameters; and

v) determine an alert condition from the continuously monitored blood pressure values and the blood pressure threshold value;

a wireless transceiver component comprised by the processing component and configured to transmit and receive information from a remote device, the wireless transceiver configured to;

i) receive patient-specific calibration parameters describing a mathematical relationship between transit time and blood pressure;

ii) receive blood pressure threshold values; and

, iii) transmit blood pressure information; and

,

an alert system designed to identify alert conditions, the alert system comprising algorithms to;

i) generate an alert based on the patient'"'"'s high or low blood pressures; and

ii) generate a visual and audio display of the alert condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm of the microcontroller processes:

1) the electrical waveform to determine a heart rate value;

     2) the optical waveform to determine a pulse oximetry value; and

     3) the optical and electrical waveforms to determine a blood pressure value.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a drug-delivery system for administering a pharmaceutical compound to the patient in response to a blood pressure value.