System and method for obtaining an objective measure of dyspnea

• US 9,996,677 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Cheung, Amy Oi Mee, Atakhorrami, Maryam
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jian, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US13/583,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20120330114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,675 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• 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 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient is provided. The method includes measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time with an activity monitor to gather physical activity data; measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time with a respiration rate sensor to gather respiration rate data; administering a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient; and executing, on one or more computer processors, one or more computer program modules to determine a dyspnea value for the patient based on the respiration rate data, the physical activity data, and the clinical information of the patient. The dyspnea value is representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the method comprising:

measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time with an activity monitor to gather physical activity data;

measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time with a respiration rate sensor to gather respiration rate data;

administering, with a computer processor, a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient;

determining, with the computer processor, a first baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

determining, with the computer processor, a second baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

determining, with the computer processor, a dyspnea value for the patient based on the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter, and the clinical information of the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient, and wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that responsive to the measured respiration rate being greater than a sum of the respiration rate at rest and a first predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level, the dyspnea value indicates the patient is experiencing dyspnea.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer or a piezoelectric sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer, and wherein the accelerometer also constitutes the respiration rate sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respiration rate sensor is an accelerometer or a microphone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the clinical information includes information about respiratory symptoms of the patient, information about smoking history of the patient, and information about any other illnesses of the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that:

responsive to the measured respiration rate being between a sum of the respiration rate during activity and a second predetermined constant, and a difference between the respiration rate during activity and the second predetermined constant; and

the physical activity of the patient being low;

the dyspnea value indicates the patient is not experiencing dyspnea.

7. A system for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to measure a respiration rate of the patient to gather respiration rate data, and physical activity of the patient to gather physical activity data;

a questionnaire system configured to gather clinical information of the patient; and

a processor configured to;

determine a first baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

determine a second baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

process the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter and the clinical information of the patient to determine a dyspnea value for the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient, and wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that responsive to the measured respiration rate being greater than a sum of the respiration rate at rest and a first predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level, the dyspnea value indicates the patient is experiencing dyspnea.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor is an activity monitor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the activity monitor is an accelerometer or a piezoelectric sensor.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor is a respiration rate sensor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the respiration rate sensor is an accelerometer or a microphone.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the clinical information includes information about respiratory symptoms of the patient, information about smoking history of the patient, and information about any other illnesses of the patient.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine the dyspnea value such that:

responsive to the measured respiration rate being between a sum of the respiration rate during activity and a second predetermined constant, and a difference between the respiration rate during activity and the second predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level the dyspnea value indicates the patient is not experiencing dyspnea.

14. A system for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the system comprising:

means for measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time to gather physical activity data;

means for measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time to gather respiration rate data;

means for administering a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient;

means for determining a first baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

means for determining a second baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

means for determining a dyspnea value for the patient based on the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter, and the clinical information of the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient, and wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that responsive to the measured respiration rate being greater than a sum of the respiration rate at rest and a first predetermined constant, and the physical activity of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level, the dyspnea value indicates the patient is experiencing dyspnea.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for measuring physical activity includes a physical activity monitor, and wherein the physical activity monitor is an accelerometer.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for measuring respiration rate include a respiration rate sensor, and wherein the respiration rate sensor is a microphone.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the clinical information includes information about respiratory symptoms of the patient, information about smoking history of the patient, and information about any other illnesses of the patient.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that:

responsive to the measured respiration rate being between a sum of the respiration rate during activity and a second predetermined constant, and a difference between the respiration rate during activity and the second predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level the dyspnea value indicates the patient is not experiencing dyspnea.

19. A computer-implemented method for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the method comprising:

measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time with an activity monitor to gather physical activity data;

measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time with a respiration rate sensor to gather respiration rate data;

administering, with a computer processor, a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient;

determining, with the computer processor, a first baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

determining, with the computer processor, a second baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

determining, with the computer processor, a dyspnea value for the patient based on the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter, and the clinical information of the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient, and wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that responsive to the measured respiration rate being between a sum of the respiration rate during activity and a second predetermined constant, and a difference between the respiration rate during activity and the second predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level, the dyspnea value indicates the patient is not experiencing dyspnea.

20. A system for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to measure a respiration rate of the patient to gather respiration rate data, and physical activity of the patient to gather physical activity data;

a questionnaire system configured to gather clinical information of the patient; and

a processor configured to;

determine a first baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

determine a second baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

process the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter and the clinical information of the patient to determine a dyspnea value for the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient, wherein the processor is configured to determine the dyspnea value such that;

responsive to the measured respiration rate being between a sum of the respiration rate during activity and a second predetermined constant, and a difference between the respiration rate during activity and the second predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level, the dyspnea value indicates the patient is not experiencing dyspnea.

21. A system for assessing a level of dyspnea in a patient, the system comprising:

means for measuring physical activity of the patient over a period of time to gather physical activity data;

means for measuring respiration rate of the patient over the period of time to gather respiration rate data;

means for administering a questionnaire to gather clinical information of the patient;

means for determining a first baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient at rest based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data;

means for determining a second baseline parameter reflecting a respiration rate of the patient during activity based on the respiration rate data and/or the physical activity data; and

means for determining a dyspnea value for the patient based on the first baseline parameter, the second baseline parameter, and the clinical information of the patient, the dyspnea value being representative of the level of dyspnea in the patient wherein the dyspnea value is determined such that;

responsive to the measured respiration rate being between a sum of the respiration rate during activity and a second predetermined constant, and a difference between the respiration rate during activity and the second predetermined constant, and the physical activity level of the patient being lower than a predetermined activity level, the dyspnea value indicates the patient is not experiencing dyspnea.