System and method for a biosensor monitoring and tracking band

• US 9,974,451 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilinear Bioventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Sanmina-SCI Corporation
• Inventors: Newberry, Robert Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fardanesh, Marjan
• Application Number:
  US15/489,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• 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 5/02 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 : Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 : using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A health care band operably attaches a biosensor to a patient. The biosensor includes one or more sensors for collecting vitals of a patient and a wireless transmitter that is configured to communicate with an EMR network that stores and maintains an EMR of the patient. The biosensor stores a unique identification associated with the patient'"'"'s EMR such that vitals measured by the biosensor may be transmitted with the patient'"'"'s unique identification for storage in the patient'"'"'s EMR. The sensors in the biosensor may include a temperature sensor and motion detector/accelerometer. In an embodiment, one of the sensors includes a photoplethysmography (PPG) based sensor configured to continuously or periodically measure a patient'"'"'s vitals, such as heart rate, pulse, blood oxygen levels, NO concentration levels, or other blood analytics.

Claims

1. A health care band configured for attachment to a patient, comprising:

a biosensor attached to the health care band, wherein the biosensor includes;

a memory configured to store a unique patient identification;

a temperature sensor configured to obtain a skin temperature of the patient;

a photoplethysmography (PPG) circuit configured to;

obtain a plurality of spectral responses at a plurality of wavelengths from light reflected from skin of the patient;

determine a concentration level of nitric oxide (NO) in pulsatile blood flow of the patient using PPG techniques from at least one of the plurality of spectral responses, wherein the at least one of the plurality of spectral responses is obtained at a wavelength with a high absorption coefficient for NO; and

determine biosensor data of the patient using at least another one of the plurality of spectral responses, wherein the biosensor data includes oxygen saturation levels, hemoglobin levels or heart rate; and

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the skin temperature, biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification to one or more remote devices.

2. The health care band of claim 1, wherein the PPG circuit is further configured to emit light at the plurality of wavelengths directed at skin of the patient.

3. The health care band of claim 1, wherein the PPG circuit is further configured to determine a concentration level of one or more additional substances using one or more of the spectral responses.

4. The health care band of claim 3, wherein the one or more additional substances includes one or more of:

a blood alcohol level, a liver enzyme level, a cancer indicating protein, a sodium chloride level, a potassium level, a bilirubin level, and an iron level.

5. The health care band of claim 1, wherein the biosensor further includes an attachment mechanism for detachment and attachment to the health care band.

6. The health care band of claim 1, wherein the health care band includes a printed bar code, wherein the unique patient identification is encoded in the printed bar code.

7. The health care band of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more remote devices is configured to record the temperature, biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification in an electronic medical record associated with the unique patient identification.

8. The health care band of claim 1, wherein the PPG circuit is further configured to:

detect one or more of the temperature, oxygen saturation level, heart rate or NO concentration level has reached a predetermined threshold; and

generate a medical alert for transmission by the wireless transceiver to the one or more remote devices.

9. The health care band of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to transmit the temperature, biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification to one or more remote devices in a health care facility at periodic intervals or in response to a request from the one or more remote devices.

10. The health care band of claim 2, wherein the PPG circuit is further configured to:

determine a presence of an infection by one or more of;

comparing one or more of the plurality of spectral responses to one or more known spectral patterns indicating presence of white blood cells;

or

determining a color or color change of blood from one or more of the plurality of spectral responses.

11. The health care band of claim 2, wherein the PPG circuit is further configured to:

determine a position of the biosensor on a skin of a patient, wherein the position includes at least one of;

a wrist, an arm, a leg, a finger, a forehead, an earlobe, an ear canal, a forehead, an abdomen, or a chest; and

adjust a plurality of frequencies of the emitting light directed at the upper epidermal layer of skin of the patient in response to the position of the biosensor.

12. A biosensor configured for attachment to a patient, comprising:

a memory configured to store a unique patient identification;

a PPG circuit configured for obtaining a concentration level of nitric oxide (NO) in pulsatile blood flow of the patient using PPG techniques, wherein the PPG circuit is configured to;

generate at least a first spectral response for light reflected around a first wavelength from skin tissue of the patient, wherein the first wavelength has a high absorption coefficient for nitric oxide (NO) levels in blood flow;

generate at least a second spectral response for light detected around a second wavelength reflected from the skin tissue of the patient, wherein the second wavelength has a low absorption coefficient for nitric oxide (NO) in blood flow;

a processing circuit configured to;

process the first and second spectral responses at the first wavelength and the second wavelength; and

determine a concentration level of NO in the blood flow of the patient using the first spectral response and the second spectral response; and

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the concentration level of NO and the unique patient identification to one or more devices in a health care facility network.

13. The biosensor of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is configured to:

determine a glucose concentration level in blood flow using the concentration level of NO by accessing a calibration table that includes a plurality of glucose concentration levels correlated with a plurality of concentration levels of NO.

14. The biosensor of claim 12, wherein wireless transceiver is further configured to:

transmit the glucose concentration level and the unique patient identification to an EMR application server for recording in an electronic medical record associated with the unique patient identification.

15. The biosensor of claim 12, wherein the PPG circuit is further configured to:

determine a concentration level of one or more additional substances including one or more of;

a blood alcohol level, hemoglobin levels, a liver enzyme level, a cancer indicating protein, a sodium chloride level, a potassium level, a bilirubin level, an iron level or a white blood cell level.

16. The biosensor of claim 12, wherein the biosensor is configured for attachment to a patient on an arm, a wrist, a leg, a finger, a forehead, an earlobe or ear canal.

17. The biosensor of claim 12, wherein the biosensor is further configured to:

determine a position of the biosensor; and

adjust operation of the PPG circuit in response to the position of the biosensor.

18. The biosensor of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine a position of the biosensor by:

determining a spectral response of underlying tissue from the PPG circuit;

determining one or more characteristics of the underlying tissue from the spectral response;

correlating the detected one or more characteristics of the underlying tissue with predetermined characteristics of underlying tissue from a plurality of body areas, wherein the plurality of body parts include at least;

an abdominal area, wrist, forearm, leg, finger, earlobe or ear canal; and

determining the at least one area of the body of the patient on which the biosensor is located based on the correlation.

19. The biosensor of claim 17, wherein the biosensor is configured to adjust the operation of the PPG circuit in response to the position of the biosensor by:

adjusting the first wavelength of light emitted onto the skin of the patient.

20. The biosensor of claim 17, wherein the biosensor is configured to adjust the operation of the PPG circuit in response to the position of the biosensor by:

adjusting an absorption coefficient when determining a concentration level of a substance in response to the underlying tissue.

21. A biosensor comprising:

a memory configured to store a unique patient identification;

a PPG circuit configured to;

obtain a plurality of spectral responses at a plurality of wavelengths from light reflected from skin of the patient;

determine a concentration level of nitric oxide (NO) in blood flow of the patient from at least one of the plurality of spectral responses obtained at a wavelength with a high absorption coefficient for NO; and

determine biosensor data of the patient using another one of the plurality of spectral responses, wherein the biosensor data includes oxygen saturation levels, hemoglobin levels or heart rate; and

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification to one or more devices in an electronic medical record (EMR) network.

22. The biosensor of claim 21, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the patient; and

an activity monitoring circuit configured to detect an activity level of the patient.

23. The biosensor of claim 22, further comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

track the biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification and transmit the biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification at periodic intervals to the EMR network.

24. The biosensor of claim 23, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

associate the unique patient identification at an admission stage; and

initiate monitoring of the biosensor data and the NO concentration level.

25. The biosensor of claim 24, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

monitor the biosensor data and the NO concentration level of the patient during an admission period of the health care facility; and

periodically transmit the biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification of the patient at periodic intervals to the EMR network during the admission period of the health care facility.

26. The biosensor of claim 25, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

monitor the biosensor data and the NO concentration level of the patient during one or more medical procedures; and

periodically transmit the biosensor data, the NO concentration level and the unique patient identification of the patient at periodic intervals during the one or more medical procedures to the EMR network.

27. The biosensor of claim 25, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

analyze the biosensor data and the NO concentration level during the admission period of the health care facility of the patient to track efficacy of one or more treatments.