Methods and systems for determining fluid content of tissue

• US 10,588,599 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOLL Medical Israel Limited (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ZOLL Medical Israel Limited (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Weinstein, Uriel, Bernstein, Assaf, Cohen, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Remaly, Mark D
• Application Number:
  US15/206,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20160317054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/14 Coupling media or elements to improve sensor contact with skin or tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36578 controlled by mechanical motion of the heart wall, e.g. measured by an accelerometer or microphone

Abstract

Diagnostic apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, which are configured to be disposed at different, respective locations on a thorax of a living body so as to direct radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves from different, respective directions toward a heart in the body and to output RF signals responsively to the waves that are scattered from the heart. Processing circuitry is configured to process the RF signals over time so as to provide a multi-dimensional measurement of a movement of the heart.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency (RF) based diagnostic apparatus for assessing a target tissue comprising:

one or more antennas configured for arrangement on a body of a patient so as to at least one of;

direct radio frequency (RF) waves into a target tissue, and

receive RF reflections thereof from the target tissue,

and

output one or more signals responsive to received reflected RF waves;

a communication interface;

processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuitry configured to cause the communication interface to transmit the one or more signals to a remote device to;

process the one or more signals at a plurality of different points over a period of time to determine a path characteristic of the RF electromagnetic waves relative to the target tissue at the plurality of different points, and

determine a change in a fluid content of the target tissue over the period of time by comparing the determined path characteristic at a first point of the plurality of different points to the determined path characteristic at a second point of the plurality of different points; and

a coupling material configured;

for arrangement between a body-facing surface of the one or more antennas and the skin of the patient, and

to include a first dielectric constant corresponding approximately to that of a second dielectric constant of the skin of the patient.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric constant of between 30 and 75.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling material is configured as a gel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling material is configured as an adhesive.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive signals comprising commands from the remote device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the commands comprise operational commands configured for operating the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured with a wireless link.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless link comprises at least one of a Bluetooth™

and WiFi link.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a gateway configured to receive the signals from the communication interface and transmit the signals to the remote device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive signals comprising commands from the remote device including a server.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive signals comprising commands from the remote device configured to store data received from the apparatus for at least one of subsequent viewing and analysis.

12. A radio-frequency (RF) based diagnostic apparatus for assessing a target tissue comprising:

a housing;

one or more antennas configured to be disposed on a body of a patient so as to at least one of;

direct radio frequency (RF) waves into a target tissue, and

receive RF reflections thereof from the target tissue,

and

output one or more signals responsive to received reflected RF waves;

a communication interface;

processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuitry configured to cause the communication interface to transmit the signals to a remote device to;

process the one or more signals at a plurality of different points over a period of time to determine a path characteristic of the RF electromagnetic waves relative to the target tissue at the plurality of different points, and

determine a change in a fluid content of the target tissue over the period of time by comparing the determined path characteristic at a first point of the plurality of different points to the determined path characteristic at a second point of the plurality of different points;

and

a body coupling device having at least one portion configured to include a first dielectric constant, wherein;

the housing accommodates at least one of the one or more antennas and the processing circuitry,

the body coupling device is configured for arrangement on the body of the patient so as to place the one or more antenna adjacent the skin of the body proximate the target tissue,

and

the first dielectric constant corresponds approximately to that of a second dielectric constant of the skin of the patient.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the body coupling device comprises apparel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparel comprises a vest.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparel is configured to accommodate at least one of the housing and the one or more antennas.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dielectric material is configured with a first dielectric constant of between 30 and 75.