Multi-vital-sign smartphone system in an electronic medical records system

• US 10,602,987 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARC Devices, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Arc Devices (Ni) Limited
• Inventors: Khachaturian, Mark, Cherepy, Christine, Smith, Michael, Gross, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Zahed
• Application Number:
  US15/700,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20190046121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 933 Days
• Field of Search: 600301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02241 of small dimensions, e.g. adapted to fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02422 within occluders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0806 by whole-body plethysmography measuring blood flow using plethysmography A61B5/0295; impedance plethysmography A61B5/053; measuring volume of the body or parts thereof A61B5/1073
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 : for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

In one implementation, a multi-vital-sign smartphone system detects multiple vital signs from sensors such as a digital infrared sensor, a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor and at least one micro dynamic light scattering (mDLS) sensor, and thereafter in some implementations the vital signs are transmitted to, and stored by, an electronic medical record system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first housing that contains a first circuit board, a wireless communication subsystem and a pneumatic engine,

wherein the first circuit board includes;

a first microprocessor;

a first digital interface that is operably coupled to the first microprocessor; and

wherein the wireless communication subsystem is operably coupled to the first microprocessor and the wireless communication subsystem is configured to transmit a representation of each of a plurality of vital signs via a short distance wireless communication path;

a second housing having a second circuit board and a camera, the second circuit board including;

a second digital interface, the second digital interface being operably coupled to the first digital interface; and

a second microprocessor operably coupled to the second digital interface, the second microprocessor being configured to estimate the plurality of vital signs,

a third housing comprising a cuff bladder and a microdynamic light scattering sensor,

wherein the cuff bladder that is operably coupled to the pneumatic engine and that expands and contracts in response to air pressure from the pneumatic engine;

wherein the microdynamic light scattering sensor is in the cuff bladder, wherein the microdynamic light scattering sensor includes two photo diode receivers and one laser transmitter that is operable to generate a laser signal and having a geometry that creates direct signal scattering reflection of the laser signal into the two photo diode receivers;

a fourth housing including a photoplethysmogram sensor, wherein the photoplethysmogram sensor includes a source-detector assembly having a transmitter of electromagnetic radiation at two or more frequencies in a 700-1300 nm range and a receiver of electromagnetic radiation in the 700-1300 nm range to measure an amount of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by a subject, the subject being positioned between the transmitter of electromagnetic radiation and the receiver of electromagnetic radiation, the amount of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by the subject being an indication of an amount of oxygen in the subject, the source-detector assembly including a light shielding that shields extraneous near-infrared and extraneous ambient light such that electromagnetic energy entering the subject as well as the electromagnetic energy detected will be only in the 700-1300 nm range;

the longitudinal axis of the third housing is not coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the fourth housing,

wherein the first microprocessor is operably coupled to the pneumatic engine, the cuff bladder, the photoplethysmogram sensor and the microdynamic light scattering sensor;

wherein the third housing is mounted on the first housing,

wherein the fourth housing is mounted on the first housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display device that further comprises:

a green traffic light that is associated with a first vital sign of the plurality of vital signs and that is configured to indicate that the first vital sign is good;

an amber traffic light that is associated with the first vital sign of the plurality of vital signs and that is configured to indicate that the first vital sign is low; and

a red traffic light that is associated with the first vital sign of the plurality of vital signs and that is configured to indicate that the first vital sign is high.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a digital infrared sensor having no analog sensor readout ports.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the camera that is operably coupled to the second microprocessor and configured to provide a plurality of images to the second microprocessor; and

the first microprocessor including a cropper module that is configured to receive the plurality of images and configured to crop the plurality of images to exclude a border area of the plurality of images, generating a plurality of cropped images, the second microprocessor also including a temporal-motion-amplifier of the plurality of cropped images that is configured to generate a temporal variation, the second microprocessor also including a biological vital sign generator that is operably coupled to the temporal-motion-amplifier that is configured to generate a biological vital sign from the temporal variation, wherein the biological vital sign is a vital sign of the plurality of vital signs.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the temporal-motion-amplifier further comprises a skin-pixel-identification module.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the temporal-motion-amplifier further comprises a regional facial clusterial module.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the temporal-motion-amplifier further comprises a first frequency filter module.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a heart rate at rest is estimated from data from the photoplethysmogram sensor, a respiration rate and a heart rate variability and a blood pressure diastolic is estimated from data from the microdynamic light scattering sensor and the photoplethysmogram sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

wherein a blood pressure systolic is estimated from data from the microdynamic light scattering sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a storage device that is operably coupled to the biological vital sign generator and that is configured to store the plurality of vital signs.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is verified by a second apparatus as known by the second apparatus and as allowed by the second apparatus to transfer information to the second apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a connection is established and the plurality of vital signs are pushed from the apparatus through the wireless communication subsystem, thereafter an external device controls flow of the plurality of vital signs between the apparatus and the external device, wherein the connection further comprises an authenticated communication channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a digital infrared sensor further comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication subsystem further comprises a component that is configured to transmit a representation of date and time, operator identification, patient identification, manufacturer and model number of the apparatus.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a first housing including a photoplethysmogram sensor, wherein the photoplethysmogram sensor includes a source-detector assembly having a transmitter of electromagnetic radiation at two or more frequencies in a 700-1300 nm range and a receiver of electromagnetic radiation in the 700-1300 nm range to measure an amount of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by a subject, the subject being positioned between the transmitter of electromagnetic radiation and the receiver of electromagnetic radiation, the amount of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by the subject being an indication of an amount of oxygen in the subject, the source-detector assembly including a light shielding that shields extraneous near-infrared and extraneous ambient light such that an electromagnetic energy entering the subject as well as the electromagnetic energy detected will be only in the 700-1300 nm range;

a second housing including a cuff bladder and a microdynamic light scattering sensor, wherein the microdynamic light scattering sensor includes two photo diode receivers and one laser transmitter that is operable to generate a laser signal, wherein the microdynamic light scattering sensor is in the cuff bladder;

wherein the microdynamic light scattering sensor has a geometry that creates a direct signal scattering reflection of the laser signal into the two photo diode receivers;

a third housing including a pneumatic engine, a first circuit board and a first digital interface;

wherein the pneumatic engine that is operably coupled to the cuff bladder, the cuff bladder being operable to expand and contract in response to air pressure from the pneumatic engine;

wherein the first circuit board including;

a first microprocessor;

the first microprocessor operably coupled to the pneumatic engine, the cuff bladder, the photoplethysmogram sensor and the microdynamic light scattering sensor;

wherein the first digital interface that is operably coupled to the first microprocessor,

wherein the first housing is mounted on the third housing,

wherein the second housing is mounted on the third housing,

wherein the longitudinal axis of the second housing is not co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the first housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a fourth housing that encompasses:

a second microprocessor that is operably coupled to the first digital interface;

a camera that is operably coupled to the second microprocessor and configured to provide a plurality of images to the second microprocessor; and

the first microprocessor including a cropper module that is configured to receive the plurality of images and configured to crop the plurality of images to exclude a border area of the plurality of images, generating a plurality of cropped images, the second microprocessor also including a temporal-motion-amplifier of the plurality of cropped images that is configured to generate a temporal variation, the second microprocessor also including a biological vital sign generator that is operably coupled to the temporal-motion-amplifier that is configured to generate a biological vital sign from the temporal variation, wherein the biological vital sign is a vital sign of a plurality of vital signs.