911 services and vital sign measurement utilizing mobile phone sensors and applications

• US 9,485,345 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of North Texas
• Original Assignee: University of North Texas
• Inventors: Chandrasekaran, Vikram, Gupta, Neeraj K., Dantu, Ramanamurthy
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US13/623,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Improved methods for utilizing 911 services, for implementing 911 dispatch protocols, and for measuring vital signs of a human, all by accessing mobile phone sensors and applications, are disclosed. Vital signs such as heart rate, breathing rate, breathing distress, and blood pressure can be measured using mobile phone sensors and applications. A method for differential estimation of blood pressure involves the synchronization of time between two mobile phones, locating an appropriate position for one cell phone and recording heart sounds, and recording video data from the finger tip of the subject using the other mobile phone.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting heart rate information of a subject to an emergency dispatcher, comprising:

placing a Voice over IP (“

VOIP”

) call to an emergency dispatcher using a mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone comprises an embedded camera with a lens, a flash, a WiFi receiver, a WiFi transmitter, VOIP software, wherein the VOIP software comprises modified signaling protocols which facilitate transmission of heart rate information in real-time, and an application for estimating heart rate information using the camera and flash, and wherein all subsequent steps are performed during the VOIP call;

activating the application for estimating heart rate information;

placing the finger tip of the subject on the lens of the camera;

activating the flash of the camera to permit the application to capture a video containing information about the heart rate of the subject relating to variations in reflective index of light directed at the finger tip of the subject;

using the application to analyze the video and estimate heart rate information of the subject, wherein the application utilizes Photo Plethysmography (“

PPG”

), wherein a low reflective index is represents a systolic phase and a high reflective index represents a diastolic phase, and wherein the step of using the application to analyze the video and estimate heart rate information of the subject comprises the steps of;

dividing frames of the video into multiple regions,

splitting pixels of a region of the frames into red, blue, and green components;

mapping intensity of the red component of the region over an interval of time Wt to determine a number of peaks n; and

estimating heart rate information of the subject using an equation; and

using the modified signaling protocols of the mobile phone to transmit the heart rate information of the subject to the emergency dispatcher via an Internet-based network in real-time during the VOIP call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the flash of the camera step occurs more than once.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the frames of the video are divided into multiple quadrants and pixels of a quadrant are split into red, blue, and green components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the equation is:

heart rate=(n*60)Wt.

5. A method for allowing an emergency dispatcher to monitor CPR chest compression rate and displacement being administered on a subject, comprising:

placing a Voice over IP (“

VOIP”

) call to an emergency dispatcher using a mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone comprises an embedded accelerometer, a WiFi receiver, a WiFi transmitter, VOIP software, wherein the VOIP software comprises modified signaling protocols which facilitate transmission of chest compression rate and displacement information in real-time, and an application for estimating chest compression rate and displacement information using the embedded accelerometer, and wherein all subsequent steps are performed during the VOIP call;

activating the application for estimating chest compression rate and displacement information;

administering chest compressions to the subject;

activating the embedded accelerometer to permit the application to capture information about the chest compression rate and chest displacement relating to movement of the chest of the subject and calculate the chest compression rate and chest displacement of the subject, wherein the chest displacement of the subject is calculated by finding a velocity and calculating the chest displacement using an equation based on the velocity;

using the modified signaling protocols of the mobile phone to transmit the chest compression rate and chest displacement of the subject to the emergency dispatcher via an Internet-based network in real-time during the VOIP call; and

receiving instructions on efficient administration of chest compressions to meet acceptable CPR guidelines, wherein the acceptable CPR guidelines include a preferable depth of compressions of about 2 to about 2.5 inches and a preferable rate of about 100 to about 120 compressions per minute.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the instructions on efficient administration of chest compressions to meet acceptable CPR guidelines are received from the emergency dispatcher and further comprising the step of administering modified chest compressions to the subject that take into account the instructions received from the emergency dispatcher.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the chest displacement of the subject is calculated using the steps of:

finding a velocity of the mobile phone using the equation;

V_t=V₀+V_d,

wherein V₀ is a starting velocity, V_d is a change in velocity over a period of time, V_t is a velocity after the period of time, and t is the period of time, and

calculating the chest displacement using the equation;

chest displacement=(V₀+V_t)/2*t.

8. A method for transmitting overall health information of a subject to an emergency dispatcher, comprising:

placing a Voice over IP (“

VOIP”

) call to an emergency dispatcher using a mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone comprises a camera with a lens, a flash, a WiFi receiver, a WiFi transmitter, VOIP software, wherein the VOIP software comprises modified signaling protocols which facilitate transmission of heart rate information and respiratory rate information in real-time, an application for estimating heart rate information using the camera and flash, an embedded accelerometer, and an application for estimating respiratory rate information using the accelerometer, and wherein all subsequent steps are performed during the VOIP call;

activating the application for estimating heart rate information;

placing the finger tip of the subject on the lens of the camera;

activating the flash of the camera to permit the application to capture a video containing information about the heart rate of the subject relating to variations in reflective index of light directed at the finger tip of the subject;

using the application to analyze the video and estimate heart rate information of the subject, wherein the application utilizes Photo Plethysmography (“

PPG”

), wherein a low reflective index is represents a systolic phase and a high reflective index represents a diastolic phase, and wherein the step of using the application to analyze the video and estimate heart rate information of the subject comprises the steps of;

dividing frames of the video into multiple regions,

splitting pixels of a region of the frames into red, blue, and green components;

mapping intensity of the red component of the region over an interval of time Wt to determine a number of peaks n; and

estimating heart rate information of the subject using an equation;

using the modified signaling protocols of the mobile phone to transmit the heart rate information of the subject to the emergency dispatcher via an Internet-based network in real-time during the VOIP call;

activating the application for estimating respiratory rate information;

placing the mobile phone on the chest of the subject;

activating the embedded accelerometer to permit the application to capture information about the respiratory rate of the subject relating to movement of the chest of the subject and calculate the respiratory rate of the subject; and

using the modified signaling protocols of the mobile phone to transmit the respiratory rate of the subject to the emergency dispatcher via an Internet-based network in real-time during the VOIP call.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the activating the flash of the camera step occurs more than once.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile phone is placed in a horizontal position on the chest of the subject to capture movement of the chest of the subject.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein irregular chest movements of the subject are captured and transmitted to the emergency dispatcher as respiratory rate information showing breathing irregularities or breathing difficulties.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising placing the mobile phone in close proximity to the nose or mouth of the subject and transmitting breathing sounds of the subject to the emergency dispatcher.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the camera of the mobile phone is capable of capturing still or video images and further comprising using the camera of the mobile phone to transmit still or video images of the subject to the emergency dispatcher.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the camera transmits video images of the subject and the video images comprise information on bit rate changes, and wherein the information on bit rate changes communicates information to the emergency dispatcher regarding activity of the subject.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein all operations of the camera of the mobile phone are capable of being controlled remotely by the emergency dispatcher.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the equation is:

heart rate=(n*60)Wt.