Systems and methods for monitoring vital signs based on sensed changes in a target

• US 9,549,682 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Detection Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Life Detection Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Howie, Eric, McIlroy, Guy, Haggis, John, Yuan, Nanci
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US14/528,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• 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: G01N 27/22 by investigating capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring the well-being of a target are disclosed. In a method embodiment, data representing a signal is received by a computer system. The signal may be generated at least in part by one or more sensors in response to the detection of a change in an electrical field, electric potential, capacitance, and/or dielectric constant of a target spaced apart from the one or more sensors. The method may further include identifying, using the computer system and based at least in part on the data electronically received by the computer system, a recurring pattern in the received data. The method may also include determining, using the computer system and based at least in part on the received data, whether a deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses a threshold. The deviation may comprise a subset of the data electronically received by the computer system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

electronically receiving, by a computer system, data representing a signal generated at least in part by one or more sensors detecting a change in capacitance or dielectric constant of a target that is physically spaced apart from the one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more sensors does not move with the target;

identifying, using the computer system and based at least in part on the data electronically received by the computer system, a recurring pattern in the data; and

determining, using the computer system and based at least in part on the data electronically received by the computer system, whether a deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses a threshold, the deviation comprising a subset of the data electronically received by the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the threshold based at least in part on the recurring pattern, such that the threshold corresponds to a threat to the well-being of the target.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recurring pattern is based at least in part on an estimated position of the target in three-dimensional space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recurring pattern corresponds to a vital sign of the target.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recurring pattern corresponds to a movement of the target and wherein the deviation is caused at least in part by a particular movement of the target.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recurring pattern corresponds to a recurring muscular movement of the target.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm based at least in part on a determination that the deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses the threshold, the alarm indicating a threat to the well-being of the target.

8. A system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to, based on instructions contained in the memory;

electronically receive data representing a signal generated at least in part by one or more sensors detecting a change in capacitance or dielectric constant of a target that is physically spaced apart from the one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more sensors does not move with the target,

identify, based at least in part on the data electronically received, a recurring pattern in the data representing a signal, and

determine, based at least in part on the data electronically received, whether a deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses a threshold, the deviation comprising a subset of the data electronically received.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each sensor further comprises:

a capacitor having two plates arranged to detect the capacitance or the dielectric constant of the target;

an oscillator, coupled to the capacitor, configured to detect the change of the capacitance or the dielectric constant of the target; and

a frequency-to-voltage converter, coupled to the oscillator, configured to convert the change in the capacitance or the dielectric constant of the target from a frequency to a voltage.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the target is placed in the electric field of the capacitor'"'"'s two plates.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the capacitor'"'"'s two plates are arranged at an angle between 0°

to 180°

with respect to each other.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the capacitor'"'"'s two plates are arranged at an angle of approximately 180°

with respect to each other.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to, based on instructions contained in the memory, determine the threshold based at least in part on the recurring pattern, such that the threshold corresponds to a threat to the well-being of the target.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the recurring pattern is based at least in part on an estimated position of the target in three-dimensional space.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the recurring pattern corresponds to a vital sign of the target.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the recurring pattern corresponds to a movement of the target and wherein the deviation is caused at least in part by a particular movement of the target.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the recurring pattern corresponds to a recurring muscular movement of the target.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, based on instructions contained in the memory, generate an alarm based at least in part on a determination that the deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses the threshold, the alarm indicating a threat to the well-being of the target.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

electronically receiving data representing a signal generated at least in part by one or more sensors detecting a change in capacitance or dielectric constant of a target that is physically spaced apart from the one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more sensors does not move with the target;

identifying, based at least in part on the data electronically received, a recurring pattern in the data representing a signal; and

determining, based at least in part on the data electronically received, whether a deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses a threshold, the deviation comprising a subset of the data electronically received.

20. A system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect a change in capacitance or dielectric constant of a target that is physically spaced apart from the one or more sensors, each sensor does not move with the target and comprising;

a capacitor having two plates arranged to detect the capacitance or the dielectric constant of the target,

an oscillator, coupled to the capacitor, configured to detect the change of the capacitance or the dielectric constant of the target, and

a frequency-to-voltage converter, coupled to the oscillator, configured to convert the change in the capacitance or the dielectric constant of the target from a frequency to a voltage; and

a computer having a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to, based on instructions contained in the memory;

electronically receive data representing a signal generated at least in part by the one or more sensors,

identify, based at least in part on the data electronically received, a recurring pattern in the data representing a signal, and

determine, based at least in part on the data electronically received, whether a deviation from the recurring pattern transgresses a threshold, the deviation comprising a subset of the data electronically received.