Monitoring a condition of a subject

• US 8,491,492 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EarlySense Ltd.
• Inventors: Shinar, Zvika, Meger, Guy, Halperin, Avner
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US13/107,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 600/16, 600/301, 600/483, 600/534
• US Class Current: 600/534
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0823 Detecting or evaluating cough events
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• 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 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• 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 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described including a mechanical sensor configured to detect a physiological signal of a subject. A control unit receives the signal over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of a first baseline day, and determines a baseline physiological parameter of the subject in response thereto. The control unit receives the signal over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of a second day, the period on the second day overlapping with the period over which the signal is detected on the first baseline day. The control unit determines a physiological parameter of the subject based upon the detected signal on the second day, and compares the parameter to the subject'"'"'s baseline physiological parameter. The control unit generates an alert in response to the comparison. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a mechanical sensor configured to detect a physiological signal of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes that the subject is wearing;

a control unit configured to;

receive the physiological signal from the sensor over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of at least one first baseline day,

determine a physiological parameter of the subject based upon the received physiological signal of the first baseline day;

receive the physiological signal from the sensor over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of a second day, the period over which the subject'"'"'s physiological signal is detected on the second day overlapping with the period over which the subject'"'"'s physiological signal is detected on the first baseline day;

determine a physiological parameter of the subject based upon the received physiological signal of the second day;

compare the physiological parameter based upon the received physiological signal of the second day to the baseline physiological parameter of the subject; and

generate an alert in response to the comparison; and

an output unit configured to output the alert.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to detect the physiological signal of the subject by detecting a respiration rate of the subject.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to detect the physiological signal of the subject by detecting a heart rate of the subject.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological sensor is configured to detect the physiological signal of the subject by detecting a parameter of motion of the subject.

5. Apparatus, comprising:

a mechanical sensor configured to detect a respiration signal indicative of a respiration rate of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes that the subject is wearing; and

a control unit configured to;

receive the detected respiration signal from the sensor over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of at least one first respiration-rate baseline day;

determine a baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the first respiration-rate baseline day;

receive the detected respiration signal from the sensor over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of a second day, the period over which the subject'"'"'s respiration is detected on the second day overlapping with the period over which the subject'"'"'s respiration is detected on the first respiration-rate baseline day;

determine a parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day;

compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration; and

generate an alert in response to the comparison; and

an output unit configured to output the alert.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the baseline parameter of respiration by determining a baseline respiration pattern based upon the received respiration signal of the first respiration-rate baseline day, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day by determining a respiration pattern based upon the received respiration signal of the second day.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the control unit is configured to determine the baseline parameter of respiration by determining a parameter selected from the group consisting of;

a mean respiration rate, a maximum respiration rate, and a median respiration rate, based upon the received respiration signal of the first respiration-rate baseline day, and

the control unit is configured to determine the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day by determining a parameter selected from the group consisting of;

a mean respiration rate, a maximum respiration rate, and a median respiration rate, based upon the received respiration signal of the second day.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a heart-rate signal from the sensor indicative of a heart rate of the subject over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of at least one first heart-rate baseline day;

determine a baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the first heart-rate baseline day;

receive a heart-rate signal from the sensor indicative of a heart rate of the subject over a time duration of at least two hours at the given period of the second day, the period over which the subject'"'"'s heart rate is detected on the second day overlapping with the period over which the subject'"'"'s heart rate is detected on the first heart-rate baseline day;

determine a parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day; and

compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the cardiac cycle, and

generate the alert by generating the alert in response to (a) the comparison of the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration, and (b) the comparison of the parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a motion signal from the sensor indicative of motion of the subject over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of at least one first motion-parameter baseline day;

determine a baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the first motion-parameter baseline day;

receive a motion signal from the sensor indicative of motion of the subject over a time duration of at least two hours at the given period of the second day, the period over which the subject'"'"'s motion is detected on the second day overlapping with the period over which the subject'"'"'s motion is detected on the first motion-parameter baseline day;

determine a parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the second day; and

compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of motion, and

generate the alert by generating the alert in response to (a) the comparison of the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration, and (b) the comparison of the parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration by determining whether the parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration based upon the received respiration signal of the second day differs from the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s respiration by more than a threshold amount.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a heart-rate signal from the sensor indicative of a heart rate of the subject; and

set the threshold in response to the detected heart-rate signal.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a motion signal from the sensor indicative of a motion of the subject; and

set the threshold in response to the detected motion signal.

13. Apparatus, comprising:

a mechanical sensor configured to detect a heart-rate signal indicative of a heart rate of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes that the subject is wearing; and

a control unit configured to;

receive the detected heart-rate signal from the sensor over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of at least one first heart-rate baseline day;

determine a baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the first heart-rate baseline day;

receive the detected heart-rate signal from the sensor over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of a second day, the period over which the subject'"'"'s heart rate is detected on the second day overlapping with the period over which the subject'"'"'s heart rate is detected on the first heart-rate baseline day;

determine a parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day;

compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle; and

generate an alert in response to the comparison; and

an output unit configured to output the alert.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a motion signal from the sensor indicative of motion of the subject over a time duration of at least two hours at a given period of at least one first motion-parameter baseline day;

determine a baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the first motion-parameter baseline day;

receive a motion signal from the sensor indicative of motion of the subject over a time duration of at least two hours at the given period of the second day, the period over which the subject'"'"'s motion is detected on the second day overlapping with the period over which the subject'"'"'s motion is detected on the first motion-parameter baseline day;

determine a parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the second day; and

compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of motion, and

generate the alert by generating the alert in response to (a) the comparison of the parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle, and (b) the comparison of the parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion based upon the received motion signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s motion.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to compare the parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day to the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle by determining whether the parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle based upon the received heart-rate signal of the second day differs from the baseline parameter of the subject'"'"'s cardiac cycle by more than a threshold amount.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a respiration signal from the sensor indicative of a respiration rate of the subject; and

set the threshold in response to the detected respiration signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a motion signal from the sensor indicative of a motion of the subject; and

set the threshold in response to the detected motion signal.