Weight scale with ultrasound imaging for ankle displacement measurement

• US 9,220,457 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Furlan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US14/548,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20150080722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 and lower extremity displacement can identify conditions indicative of congestive heart failure. An imaging mechanism is operable to measure lower extremity displacement over a period of time. An over-time trend analysis of both the patient'"'"'s weight and the lower extremity displacement measurements is performed to determine whether over a particular sample period an increase in a patient'"'"'s lower extremity displacement can be correlated with an increase in the patient'"'"'s weight. When such a correlation does not exist, an alert can be issued of conditions indicative of congestive heart failure.

Claims

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

a processor containing;

program code configured to calculate a lower extremity displacement measurement trend of a human being,

program code configured to determine a correlation factor between a weight measurement trend of said human being and the lower extremity displacement trend, and

program code configured to determine whether the correlation factor is below a threshold value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether the correlation factor is below the threshold value further comprises determining whether the below threshold value correlation factor is statistically significant.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a displacement device configured to measure lower extremity displacement of said human being.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the displacement device uses one of infrared waves and ultrasound waves to measure lower extremity displacement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a circuit configured to generate an alert in response to the correlation factor being below the threshold value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the circuit is one of a wireless data transmitter and a visible display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is coupled to a network and wherein the processor is operable to transmit an alert in response to the correlation factor being below the threshold value and being statistically significant.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower extremity is an ankle of the human being.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower extremity is a foot of the human being.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower extremity is a leg of the human being.

11. A method, comprising:

making a plurality of lower extremity displacement measurements on a human being;

calculating a lower extremity displacement measurement trend;

determining a correlation factor between a weight measurement trend for said human being and the lower extremity displacement measurement trend; and

determining whether the correlation factor is below a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the correlation factor is below the threshold value further comprises determining whether the below threshold value correlation factor is statistically significant.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising issuing a health alert.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein issuing comprises generating at least one of a wireless data communication, wired data communication or a visible communication indicative of the health alert.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein making comprises using one of infrared waves and ultrasound waves to measure lower extremity displacement.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the lower extremity is an ankle of the human being.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the lower extremity is a foot of the human being.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the lower extremity is a leg of the human being.

19. A healthcare monitoring device, comprising:

a measurement device configured to obtain a measurement of lower extremity displacement for a patient;

a memory configured to store a plurality of lower extremity displacement measurements and a history of patient weight; and

a processing circuit configured to;

calculate a patient weight trend from the memory stored history;

calculate a patient lower extremity displacement measurement trend from the memory stored lower extremity displacement measurements;

determine a correlation factor between the patient weight trend and patient lower extremity displacement measurement trend; and

issue a health alert for said patient if the correlation factor is below a threshold hold value.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the process is further configured to issue the health alert if the below threshold value correlation factor is statistically significant.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the alert is indicative of a congestive heart failure condition for the patient.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the measurement device uses one of infrared waves and ultrasound waves to measure lower extremity displacement.

23. The device of claim 19, further comprising an alert communication device comprising one of a wireless data transmitter, a wired data transmitter or a visible display.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the lower extremity is an ankle of the patient.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the lower extremity is a foot of the patient.

26. The device of claim 19, wherein the lower extremity is a leg of the patient.

27. The device of claim 19, wherein responsive to the correlation factor being below the threshold, the processing circuit is further configured to:

issue plurality of questions to the patient;

receive responses from the patient to the plurality of questions; and

determine whether to send the alert to a healthcare professional based on the received responses.