Patient weight and ankle displacement correlation device

• US 8,048,000 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Furlan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle; Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US12/546,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• 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 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1073 Measuring volume, e.g. of limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4878 Evaluating oedema
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A device for correlating trend data with respect to a patient'"'"'s weight ankle displacement can identify conditions indicative of congestive heart failure. A weight scale or similar device coupled with imaging mechanism operable to measure ankle displacement collects a plurality of measurements over a period of time. Over time trend analysis of both the patient'"'"'s weight and the ankle displacement measurements can be obtained and compared to identify whether over a particular sample period an increase in a patient'"'"'s ankle displacement is or is not correlated with an increase in the patient'"'"'s weight. When an increase in ankle displacement is identified as not correlating to a corresponding change in the patient'"'"'s weight an alert can be issued of conditions indicative of congestive heart failure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for correlating ankle displacement with weight, the apparatus comprising:

a weight measuring device operable to measure a weight measurement of a user;

an ankle displacement measurement device operable to measure an ankle displacement measurement of the user substantially simultaneously with operation of the weight measuring device;

a memory for storing the weight measurement and the ankle displacement measurement; and

a processor capable of executing a program of instructions wherein said program of instructions comprises a plurality of program codes for determining correlation between user ankle displacement measurements and weight measurements, wherein said program of instructions includes

program code configured to calculate a weight measurement trend and an ankle displacement measurement trend,

program code configured to determine a correlation factor between the weight measurement trend and the ankle displacement trend, and

responsive to the correlation factor being below a predetermined value, program code to determine whether the correlation factor being below the predetermined value is statistically significant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ankle displacement device uses ultrasound waves to measure ankle displacement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ankle displacement device uses infrared waves to measure ankle displacement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit an alert to a healthcare professional responsive to the correlation factor being below the predetermined value and being statistically significant.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display operable to display an alert when the correlation factor is below the predetermined value and is statistically significant.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is coupled to a network and wherein the processor is operable to transmit an alert via the network to a healthcare professional responsive to the correlation factor being below the predetermined value and being statistically significant.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising program code configured to, responsive to the correlation factor being below the predetermined value being statistically significant, create an alert.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising program code configured to automatically convey the alert to a healthcare professional.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising program code configured to inform the user of the alert.

10. A method for monitoring correlation between a patient'"'"'s weight and ankle displacement, the method comprising:

determining for the patient over a period of time, a plurality of weight measurements and a plurality of ankle displacement measurements wherein each weight measurement is associated an ankle displacement measurement forming a measurement pair and wherein each measurement pair is associated with a date regarding when over the period of time the measurement pair was taken;

calculating over the period of time a weight measurement trend and an ankle displacement measurement trend;

determining a correlation factor between the weight measurement trend and the ankle displacement measurement trend over a predetermined sampling period; and

responsive to the correlation factor being below a predetermined value over the predetermined sampling period, issuing an alert message.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the ankle displacement measurement and the weight measurement of each measurement pair are taken substantially simultaneously.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the alert is automatically conveyed to a healthcare professional.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the alert is automatically displayed to the patient.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of ankle displacement measurements is determined using ultrasound waves.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of ankle displacement measurements is determined using infrared technology.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising responsive to issuing an alert message, presenting to the patient a plurality of questions, and wherein based on the response to the plurality of questions, determining whether a healthcare professional should be automatically alerted.

17. A home healthcare monitoring device usable by a patient for determining conditions indicative of congestive heart failure, the device comprising:

a means for ascertaining a plurality of weight measurements over a period of time of the patient;

a means for ascertaining a plurality of ankle displacement measurements wherein each ankle displacement measurement is exclusively associated with one of the plurality of weight measurements;

a memory operable to store each of the plurality of weight measurements and its associated ankle measurement; and

a processor coupled to the memory and capable of executing a program of instructions wherein said program of instructions comprises a plurality of program codes for determining correlation between the plurality of ankle displacement measurements and the plurality of weight measurements, wherein said program of instructions includes

program code configured to calculate over the period of time a weight measurement trend and an ankle displacement measurement trend,

program code configured to determine a correlation factor between the weight measurement trend and the ankle displacement trend, and

responsive to the correlation factor being below a predetermined value over a predetermined sample window, program code to create an alert of a condition indicative of congestive heart failure.

18. The home healthcare monitoring device of claim 17 wherein the means for ascertaining the plurality of ankle measurements include using ultrasound waves.

19. The home healthcare monitoring device of claim 17 wherein the means for ascertaining the plurality ankle measurements include using infrared technology.

20. The home healthcare monitoring device of claim 17 wherein responsive to the correlation factor being below a predetermined value over the predetermined sample window, the program code, to create an alert, includes a plurality of questions for presentation to the patient and wherein based on the response to the plurality of questions a determination is made whether a healthcare professional should be automatically alerted.