Systems and methods for identifying a medically monitored patient

• US 9,974,468 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Addison, Paul S., Watson, James N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US13/841,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 34053912, 12820433, 600336
• 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 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/251 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/08 Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow

Abstract

Systems and methods provided relate to patient sensors and/or patient monitors that recognize and/or identify a patient with physiological signals obtained from the sensor. A scalogram may be produced by applying a wavelet transform for the physiological signals obtained from the sensor. The scalogram may be a three dimensional model (having time, scale, and magnitude) from which certain physiological information may be obtained. For example, unique human physiological characteristics, also known as biometrics, may be determined from the scalograms. More specifically, monitoring the changes in the morphology of the photoplethysmographic (PPG) waveform transforms (e.g., scalogram) may determine patient-specific information that may be used to recognize and/or identify the patient, and that may be used to determine a proper or improper association between the patient and the wireless sensor and/or patient monitor.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the monitoring of physiologic conditions, comprising:

a medical sensor configured to obtain a physiological signal from a patient;

a processor configured to;

generate a wavelet transform scalogram of the physiological signal;

compare a characteristic of the wavelet transform scalogram to a stored characteristic of previously acquired data to identify the patient associated with the physiological signal from among multiple patients;

generate an alert in response to the characteristic of the wavelet transform scalogram not matching the stored characteristic, wherein the alert indicates that the sensor is not properly associated with the patient; and

block communication between the processor and the sensor in response to the alert.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical sensor comprises the processor, the medical sensor is configured to communicate with a patient monitor operatively coupled to the medical sensor or to communicate with a remote host system configured to communicate with the patient monitor, the medical sensor, or both, and wherein the medical sensor is configured to receive the stored characteristic from the patient monitor, remote host system, or both.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a patient monitor having the processor, wherein the patient monitor is operatively coupled to the medical sensor and is configured to communicate with the medical sensor, a remote host system, or both, and wherein the patient monitor receives the stored characteristic from the medical sensor, the remote host system, or both.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a database and a remote host system having the processor, wherein the remote host communicates with the medical sensor, a patient monitor operatively coupled to the medical sensor, or both, and wherein the remote host system accesses the database to obtain the plurality of wavelet transform scalograms.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process the physiological signal to generate the wavelet transform scalogram of the physiological signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical sensor is configured to cease sensor function in response to the alert.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises an energy density, modulus, phase real, complex part, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological signal comprises a photoplethysmograph signal, electrocardiogram signal, or electroencephalogram signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to compare an identity of the patient obtained from the stored characteristic to identification information provided for the patient from which the physiological signal is obtained.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to compare the wavelet transform scalogram of the physiological signal to a plurality of wavelet transforms scalograms of previously acquired physiological signals obtained from multiple patients including the patient to identify the patient associated with the physiological signal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to stop acquiring the physiological signal in response to the alert.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to block wireless communication between the sensor and the processor.

13. A system for facilitating the monitoring of physiologic conditions, comprising:

a medical sensor configured to obtain a first physiological signal; and

a patient monitor comprising processor configured to;

receive the first physiological signal, wherein the physiological signal is associated with a specific patient;

compare a first wavelet transform scalogram of the first physiological signal to a second wavelet transform scalogram of a second physiological signal previously acquired from the specific patient, wherein the second wavelet transform scalogram is associated with identification information for the specific patient;

determine that the first wavelet transform scalogram does not match the second wavelet transform scalogram;

generate a signal that causes an alert to be provided in response to the first wavelet transform scalogram not matching the second wavelet transform scalogram, wherein the alert is indicative of the sensor being improperly associated with the specific patient; and

cause the patient monitor to block communication with the sensor in response to the signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the medical sensor is configured to cease medical sensor function in response to the signal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the medical sensor comprises an indicator, and the medical sensor is configured to provide a user-perceptible indication via the indicator in response to the signal.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the patient monitor comprises an indicator, and the patient monitor is configured to provide a user-perceptible indication via the indicator in response to the signal.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second physiological signals both comprise photoplethysmograph signals, electrocardiogram signals, or electroencephalogram signals.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first wavelet transform scalogram to a plurality of wavelet transform scalograms of a plurality of previously acquired physiological signals obtained from multiple patients including the patient to identify the patient associated with the physiological signal.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is configured to block wireless communication between the sensor and the patient monitor.

20. A method, comprising:

obtaining, via a medical sensor, a first physiological signal from the patient;

generating, via a first processor, a wavelet transform scalogram of the first physiological signal;

comparing, via the first processor or a second processor, the wavelet transform scalogram to one or more stored wavelet transform scalograms of previously acquired physiological signals from the patient to identify the patient or confirm an identity of the patient associated with the first physiological signal;

monitoring the patient for physiological conditions in response to identifying the patient or confirming the identity of the patient associated with the first physiological signal;

comparing, via the first processor or a second processor, additional wavelet transform scalograms derived subsequent physiological signals from the medical sensor to the one or more stored wavelet transform scalograms to identify a mismatch between the identity of the patient associated with the first physiological signal and a different patient associate with the subsequent physiological signals; and

causing the medical sensor to stop acquiring the first physiological signal upon identifying the mismatch.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising comparing, via the first processor or the second processor, the wavelet transform scalogram of the first physiological signal to a plurality of wavelet transforms scalograms of the previously acquired physiological signals obtained from the multiple patients including the patient to identify the patient.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising generating, via the first processor or the second processor, a signal that causes an alert to be provided in response to the wavelet transform scalogram not matching a single wavelet transform scalogram of the plurality of wavelet transform scalograms, wherein the alert indicates that the patient cannot be identified.