Monitoring a condition of a subject

• US 8,679,030 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• 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, Lange, Daniel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US13/921,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 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

A method of predicting an onset of apnea is described. Motion of a subject, including at least breathing-related motion, is sensed, and a signal corresponding to the sensed motion is generated. A breathing-related signal is extracted from the sensed motion signal, and the onset of apnea is predicted at least partially in response to analyzing the breathing-related signal. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1. A method of predicting an onset of apnea, the method comprising:

sensing motion of a subject without contacting the subject, the motion comprising motions related to at least breathing, and generating a signal corresponding to the sensed motion;

extracting a breathing-related signal from the sensed motion signal; and

predicting the onset of apnea at least partially in response to analyzing the breathing-related signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the motion further comprises motions related to heartbeat, wherein the method further comprises extracting a heartbeat-related signal from the sensed motion signal, and wherein predicting the onset of apnea is at least partially in response to analyzing the heartbeat-related signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is practiced without requiring compliance of the subject.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises treating the subject for apnea when the onset of apnea is predicted.

5. A system for predicting an onset of apnea, the system comprising:

at least one sensor adapted to;

sense motion of a subject without contacting the subject, the sensed motion comprising motions related to at least breathing, and

generate a signal corresponding to the sensed motion; and

an analyzer adapted to;

extract a breathing-related signal from the sensed motion signal, and

analyze the breathing-related signal to predict the onset of apnea.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the sensed motion further comprises motions related to heartbeat, and wherein the analyzer is further adapted to:

extract a heartbeat-related signal from the sensed motion signal, and

analyze the heartbeat-related signal to predict the onset of apnea.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the system further comprises an apnea treatment device that is activated when the onset of apnea is predicted.

8. A method of detecting an onset of apnea, the method comprising:

sensing an audio signal near a subject;

sensing breathing of the subject without contacting the subject and generating a breathing-related signal corresponding to the sensed breathing; and

analyzing the audio signal and the breathing-related signal to detect the onset of apnea.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the analyzing comprises detecting a decrease in amplitude of the audio signal and correlating the decrease with little or no decrease in amplitude of the breathing-related signal.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method is practiced during periods of snoring.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises, following detection of the onset of apnea, activating a therapeutic device to at least reduce the apnea.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises deactivating the therapeutic device when the apnea subsides.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method is practiced without contacting or viewing clothes the subject is wearing.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method is practiced without requiring compliance of the subject.

15. Apparatus for detecting an onset of apnea, the apparatus comprising:

an audio sensor adapted to sense sound from a subject and generate an audio signal corresponding to the sensed sound;

at least one sensor adapted to sense breathing of the subject without contacting the subject and generate a breathing-related signal corresponding to the sensed breathing; and

an analyzer adapted to analyze the audio signal and the breathing-related signal to detect the onset of apnea.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the analyzer is adapted to detect a decrease in amplitude of the audio signal and correlate the decrease with little or no decrease in amplitude of the breathing-related signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the audio sensor is adapted to detect snoring.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus further comprises a therapeutic device and means for activating the therapeutic device when the onset of apnea is detected.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for deactivating the therapeutic device when the apnea subsides.