Continuous transdermal monitoring system and method

• US 9,717,448 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: James Mitchell Frix, James Tyler Frix, Robert Andrew Taylor
• Inventors: Johnson, Andrew, Frix, James Tyler, Frix, James Mitchell, Taylor, Robert Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US15/132,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20160228044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• 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 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• 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 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 : Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/684 : Indicating the position of the sensor on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 : using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7214 : using signal cancellation, e.g. based on input of two identical physiological sensors spaced apart, or based on two signals derived from the same sensor, for different optical wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 : Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and systems for continuous transdermal monitoring (“CTM”) are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment of a continuous transdermal monitoring system comprises a sensor package. The sensor package may include a pulse oximetry sensor having a plurality of light detectors arranged as an array. One exemplary method for continuous transdermal monitoring begins by positioning a pulse oximetry sensor system, similar to the system described immediately above, adjacent to a target tissue segment. Then, the method continues by detecting a light reflected by the target tissue segment. Then, the method continues by transmitting a pulse oximetry reading(s), based at least in part on the light reflected by the target tissue segment, of the target tissue segment. Then, the method continues by analyzing the pulse oximetry reading(s). Then, the method continues by assessing the accuracy of the pulse oximetry reading from the first light detector relative to the pulse oximetry reading from the second light detector.

Claims

1. A method of continuous transdermal monitoring of a target tissue segment, the method comprising:

designating a first light detector from a plurality of light detectors as a preferred light detector;

generating a first pulse oximetry reading, wherein the first pulse oximetry reading is based on light received by the first light detector;

monitoring a position reading generated by a position sensor, wherein a position of a light detector from the plurality of light detectors relative to the target tissue segment may be determined based on the monitored position reading;

based on the monitored position reading, determining that a second light detector from the plurality of light detectors is better positioned relative to the target tissue segment than the first light detector to be the preferred light detector;

designating the second light detector as the preferred light detector; and

generating a second pulse oximetry reading, wherein the second pulse oximetry reading is based on light received by the second light detector.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering the first and second pulse oximetry readings to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first and second pulse oximetry readings in a memory device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the position sensor comprises an accelerometer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the position sensor comprises a displacement sensor configured to measure distance of the first light detector from the target tissue segment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displacement sensor comprises an infrared sensor configured to visualize the location of a target blood vessel of the target tissue segment.

7. A system for continuous transdermal monitoring of a target tissue segment, the system comprising:

a plurality of light detectors;

at least one position sensor;

a memory device; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

designate a first light detector from the plurality of light detectors as a preferred light detector;

determine a first pulse oximetry reading, wherein the first pulse oximetry reading is based on light received by the first light detector;

determine from a reading generated by the at least one position sensor that a second light detector from the plurality of light detectors is better positioned relative to the target tissue segment than the first light detector to be the preferred light detector and

designate the second light detector from the plurality of light detectors as the preferred light detector; and

determine a second pulse oximetry reading, wherein the second pulse oximetry reading is based on light received by the second light detector.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a display device and the processor is further configured to:

cause the first and second pulse oximetry readings to be rendered on the display component.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the first and second pulse oximetry readings in the memory device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one position sensor is an accelerometer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the accelerometer is one of the group consisting of a 3-axis accelerometer and a 6-axis accelerometer.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one position sensor is a displacement sensor configured to measure distance of the first light detector from the target tissue segment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the displacement sensor comprises an infrared sensor configured to visualize the location of a target blood vessel of the target tissue segment.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable device having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for continuous transdermal monitoring, the method comprising:

designating a first light detector from a plurality of light detectors as a preferred light detector;

generating a first pulse oximetry reading, wherein the first pulse oximetry reading is based on light received by the first light detector;

monitoring a position reading generated by a position sensor, wherein a position of a light detector from the plurality of light detectors relative to the target tissue segment may be determined based on the monitored position reading;

based on the monitored position reading, determining that a second light detector from the plurality of light detectors is better positioned relative to the target tissue segment than the first light detector to be the preferred light detector;

designating the second light detector as the preferred light detector; and

generating a second pulse oximetry reading, wherein the second pulse oximetry reading is based on light received by the second light detector.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

rendering the first and second pulse oximetry readings to a user.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

storing the first and second pulse oximetry readings in a memory device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the position sensor comprises an accelerometer.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the accelerometer is one of the group consisting of a 3-axis accelerometer and a 6-axis accelerometer.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the position sensor comprises a displacement sensor configured to measure distance of the first light detector from the target tissue segment.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the displacement sensor comprises an infrared sensor configured to visualize the location of a target blood vessel of the target tissue segment.