Patient management device, system and method

• US 8,821,416 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kipax AB
• Original Assignee: Cunctus AB
• Inventors: Johansson, Per, Karlander, Sture, Jnsson, Patrik, Boberg, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABOUELELA, MAY A
• Application Number:
  US12/994,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 600/595, 600/587
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1124 Determining motor skills
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/224 Measuring muscular strength
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4848 Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 : Wristwatch-type devices
• 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 5/7285 : for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 : using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/741 : using synthesised speech
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 : characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 : for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

A portable apparatus for managing a plurality of events related to a patient and for recording and storing input data related to said events is disclosed. The portable apparatus comprises a man machine user interface; a timer unit; a control unit, arranged to provide an invitation to the patient as an instruction via the interface to perform a motion exercise, upon a trigger from the timer unit or upon a patient self initiation. In an embodiment the apparatus comprises a sensor to record measurements related to said motion exercise. Further, a storage unit is arranged to retrievably store patient input data and said measurements. This enables diagnosing a degree of a neurological disease or an effect of a medication on said neurological disease.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a degree of a neurological disease or an effect of a medication on said neurological disease, said method comprising:

transmitting a questionnaire via a communication link from an application on a local computer system to a portable apparatus, wherein said portable apparatus comprises an integrated accelerometer and said questionnaire comprises questions and an instruction to initiate a predefined motion exercise;

registering movement of said portable apparatus during said predefined motion exercise in response to said instruction by registration of an output signal from said accelerometer and storing said output signal as stored measurement data elements;

correlating said questions and said instruction to said measurement data elements; and

analyzing said measurement data elements for determining said degree of said neurological disease or an effect of said medication on said neurological disease.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing values of parameters analyzed from said measurement data with corresponding values from a standard population for said diagnosing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering said movement and storing said output signal as time stamped measurement data elements at repeated fixed or arbitrary time intervals or upon user initiation, and

determining a trend for a parameter from a plurality of said time stamped measurement data elements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said neurological disease is Parkinson'"'"'s disease, and said method further comprises identifying OFF periods and/or ON periods of a Parkinson'"'"'s disease patient from said stored measurement data elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable apparatus is an integrated apparatus comprising:

a user interface comprising an input unit for registering patient input data elements and an output unit for providing information elements to a patient;

a timer unit arranged to trigger at least a first event of said plurality of events and to tag said input data with a time stamp;

a control unit, arranged to provide an instruction via said output unit to said patient to perform a desired movement in a motion exercise, upon said trigger from said timer unit or upon a patient self-initiation;

at least one sensor unit arranged to record measurement data elements related to said motion exercise of said patient, wherein said at least one sensor unit comprises said accelerometer adapted to measure said desired motion of said portable apparatus; and

a storage unit, arranged to retrievably store said patient input data elements and said measurement data elements, together with said time stamp

wherein;

said portable apparatus is adapted to be held by said patient, or attached in a fixed relation to a body portion of said patient, and thus to serve as a mass to be moved in a desired manner by said patient during said motion exercise in such a manner that said measurement data elements are provided that are related to a movement of said portable apparatus in at least two dimensions by said patient during said motion exercise;

said control unit comprises an analyzing unit adapted to calculate a speed, direction of movement, distance, time and force that acts upon said apparatus from said measurement data elements and said time stamp stored together, and whereby said control unit is adapted to determine whether said movement of said motion exercise has been correctly performed; and

said method comprises predicting an OFF period from said user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said questions include a well-being question and said method further comprises:

entering an answer in response to said well-being question into said portable apparatus;

obtaining measured values of acceleration from said accelerometer and comparing said measured values with said answer entered in response to said well-being question.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code segments for performing the method according to claim 1.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined motion exercise comprises holding said portable apparatus in a hand of a patient during at least apportion of said exercise.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable apparatus is attached to a patient during said predefined motion exercise.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said registering movement comprises registering the movement of said portable apparatus in at least two dimensions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing said measurement data elements comprises calculating a speed, direction, distance, and time of movement of said portable apparatus and force acting upon said portable apparatus from said measurement data elements.

12. The method of claim 1, and further comprising entering an answer to at least one of said questions into said portable apparatus, storing said answer as data, and comparing said answer to said measurement data elements.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising registering and storing a no input data element together with said time stamp for a question related to measurement data elements when said question is not answered.

14. A method of diagnosing a degree of a neurological disease or an effect of a medication on said neurological disease, said method comprising:

transmitting a questionnaire via a communication link from an application on a local computer system to a portable apparatus comprising an integrated accelerometer, wherein said questionnaire comprises questions and an instruction to initiate a predefined motion exercise;

registering movement of said portable apparatus during said predefined motion exercise in response to said instruction by registration of an output signal from said accelerometer and storing said output signal as stored measurement data elements;

correlating said questions and said instruction to said measurement data elements; and

analyzing said measurement data elements for determining said degree of said neurological disease or an effect of said medication on said neurological disease;

wherein said predefined motion exercise comprises holding said portable apparatus in a hand of a patient and dropping or throwing or catching said portable apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said predefined motion exercise comprises throwing said portable apparatus upward and lowering or catching said portable apparatus in free fall and said analyzing said measurement data elements comprises measuring a g-force experienced by said portable apparatus during said free fall to provide a measure of muscle relaxation.