Personal computer breath analyzer for health-related behavior modification and method

• US 20020007249A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invoy Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tate, James D., Schrock, Alan K., Strickland, Alan D., Cranley, Paul E., Crane, Scott P., Miller, Ted E., McDonald, Charles J., Bartels, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,609,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath

Abstract

A medical breath component analyzer which maintains a data-base profile of a patient over time. The apparatus may be used chronically by a patient so that a baseline status for that patient may be determined. Acute variations from the baseline are identified as clinically significant. The acquired data can be reported to the patient using the device at home and transmitted electronically to a physician or health care provider. The method and apparatus helps a patient modify health related behaviors, particularly weight loss for diabetic patients. A breath component and information on the psychological or emotional state of the patient are correlated, and information is provided to the patient based on the correlation between the breath component and the patient'"'"'s emotional state. Other physiologic parameter may also be measured, such as a blood component, temperature, cardiovascular condition or pulse rate, a urine component, a physical activity sensor, weight, or body fat composition sensor. The parameters and the information on the patient'"'"'s emotional state may be correlated through a computer system. Correlation may comprise selecting a response likely to re-enforce positive behavioral change in the patient. Preferably, remote sources of information may also be accessed, as, for example, through a communications connection or the Internet. Information may be provided directly from the apparatus, or by contact through a physician, health-care provider or support group.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus comprising

a breath-component analyzer;

a computer connected to said analyzer and receiving a breath-component signal from said analyzer;

memory connected to said computer;

a data structure stored in said memory representative of at least a first breath-component signal; and

a computer program comparing said stored data structure of said first breath component signal to at least a second breath component signal.

2. The medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a clock and wherein said data structure associates a time from said clock with said breath component signals.

3. The medical apparatus of claim 2 wherein said data structure stores a plurality of representations of breath content signals.

4. The medical apparatus of claim 3 wherein said computer program determines a rate of change of selected components of said breath component signal.

5. The medical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said breath-component analyzer is a quantitative analyzer.

6. The medical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said breath-component analyzer comprises a qualitative analyzer.

7. The medical apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a circuit iteratively measuring a component of breath to obtain an approximate quantitative measurement of said component.

8. The medical apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a circuit measuring a component of breath to obtain a range measurement of said component.

9. The medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communications circuit for transmitting said comparison of said stored data structure and said breath component signal.

10. The medical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer program maintains a baseline representation of a chronic condition of a patient'"'"'s breath components and identifies significant acute deviations from said baseline representation.

11. The medical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer program stores a plurality of data structures and associates said data structures with a single patient.

12. The medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one environmental sensor producing an output and wherein said data structure includes a representation of said output, said representation being associated with said breath-component signal.

13. The medical apparatus of claim 12 wherein said environmental sensor includes at least one of a thermometer, a hygrometer or a barometer.

14. The medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one patient condition sensor producing a patient condition output and wherein said data structure includes a representation of said patient condition output, said representation being associated with said breath-component signal.

15. The medical apparatus of claim 14 wherein said patient condition sensor comprises at least one of a weight scale, a thermometer, a blood-oxygen content sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a cardiac pulse sensor, or an implantable cardiac stimulator data transfer device.

16. The medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for comparing said stored data structure with said breath-component signal, means for detecting a change between said stored data structure and said breath component signal, and means for requesting additional input in response to said detected change.

17. The medical apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for requesting additional input comprises at least one patient condition sensor producing a patient condition output and wherein said data structure includes a representation of said patient condition output, said representation being associated with said breath-component signal.

18. The medical apparatus of claim 17 wherein said patient condition sensor comprises at least one of a weight scale, a thermometer, a blood-oxygen content sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a cardiac pulse sensor, or an implantable cardiac stimulator data transfer device.

19. The medical apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for requesting additional input includes a computer user interface.

20. The medical apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for requesting additional input includes a computer user interface.

21. The medical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said breath component analyzer comprises at least one laser spectrometer having a plurality of lasers, at least one of said lasers emitting radiation at wavelengths different from wavelengths emitted by another of said lasers.

22. The medical apparatus of claim 21 further comprising pattern recognition apparatus in communication with said spectrometer having a plurality of lasers, said pattern recognition apparatus correlating data from said plurality of lasers.

23. The medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

an input device recording information provided by the patient,

a correlation program on said computer correlating input from said breath-component analyzer and input from said device and providing a response for said patient based on the correlating of said inputs, and

a communications interface coupled to said computer, said interface communicating at least a portion of said response to said patient.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a connection to a communication network.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said breath analyzer is an acetone analyzer for detecting weight loss.

26. The medical apparatus of claim 23 wherein information provided by the patient includes information related to the emotional/psychological state of the patient.

27. The medical apparatus of claim 26 wherein said correlation program identifies a chronic emotional state of a patient.

28. The medical apparatus of claim 26 wherein said correlation program identifies an intermediate-term emotional state of a patient.

29. The medical apparatus of claim 26 wherein said correlation program identifies a short-term emotional state of said patient.

30. The medical apparatus of claim 23 wherein said correlation program identifies a chronic emotional state of said patient, an intermediate-term emotional state of said patient, and a short-term emotional state of said patient, and correlates the chronic, intermediate-term and short-term emotional states of said patient with said input from said breath analyzer.

31. A method for analyzing breath components of a patient comprising the steps of taking a breath sample from a patient;

analyzing components of said sample to produce a first breath component profile;

storing said first breath component profile in computer-accessible memory;

taking a second breath sample from said patient;

analyzing components of said sample to produce a second breath component profile; and

comparing said first and second breath component profiles.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising associating a time from a clock with said breath component signals.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising storing a plurality of representations of breath content signals acquired at a plurality of times.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising determining a rate of change of selected components of said breath component signal between said plurality of representations.

35. The method of claim 31 further comprising quantitatively analyzing breath components.

36. The method of claim 31 further comprising qualitatively analyzing breath components.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising iteratively qualitatively analyzing a component of breath at selected sensitivities to obtain an approximate quantitative measurement of said component.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising measuring a component of breath to obtain a range measurement of said component.

39. The method of claim 31 further comprising transmitting said comparison of said stored data structure and said breath component signal.

40. The method of claim 31 further comprising maintaining a baseline representation of a chronic condition of a patient'"'"'s breath components and identifying significant acute deviations from said baseline representation.

41. The method of claim 31 further comprising storing a plurality of data structures and associating said data structures with a single patient.

42. The method of claim 31 further comprising sensing at least one environmental condition at the time of taking a breath sample, storing a representation of said sensed condition in computer-accessible memory, and associating said representation with the breath-component profile produced from said breath sample.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said sensing at least one environmental condition includes at least one of temperature, humidity or barometric pressure.

44. The method of claim 31 further comprising sensing at least one patient condition at the time of taking a breath sample, storing a representation of said sensed patient condition in computer-accessible memory, and associating said representation with the breath-component profile produced from said breath sample.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said sensing at least one patient condition comprises at least one of body weight, body temperature, blood-oxygen content, blood pressure, pulse rate, or data recorded by an implantable cardiac stimulator.

46. The method of claim 31 further detecting a change between said stored breath component profile and said second breath component profile, and requesting additional input in response to said detected change.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein requesting additional input comprises sensing at least one patient condition, storing a representation of said sensed patient condition in computer-accessible memory, and associating said representation with the breath-component profile produced from said breath sample.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said sensing at least one patient condition comprises at least one of body weight, body temperature, blood-oxygen content, blood pressure, pulse rate, or data recorded by an implantable cardiac stimulator.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein requesting additional input includes requesting and receiving information through a computer-user interface.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein requesting additional input includes requesting and receiving information through a computer-user interface.

51. The method of claim 31 wherein said steps of analyzing breath components comprise passing a plurality of lasers beams through said breath sample, at least one of said lasers beams having wavelengths different from wavelengths of another of said laser beams and spectrally analyzing said laser beams after said beams have passed through said sample.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said step of spectrally analyzing said laser beams further comprises pattern recognition processing.

53. The method of claim 31 further comprising

recording information provided by the patient through an input device,

correlating in a computer input from said breath-component analyzer and input from said device, and

providing a response for said patient based on said inputs.

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising connecting to a communication network.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein at least one of said components is acetone.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein information provided by the patient includes information related to the emotional/psychological state of the patient.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein correlating input includes identifying a chronic emotional state of a patient.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein correlating input includes identifying an intermediate-term emotional state of a patient.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein correlating input includes identifying a short-term emotional state of said patient.

60. The method of claim 53 wherein correlating input includes identifying a chronic emotional state of said patient, an intermediate-term emotional state of said patient, and a short-term emotional state of said patient, and correlating the chronic, intermediate-term and short-term emotional states of said patient with said input from said breath analyzer.