Non-Invasive Heart Monitoring Apparatus and Method

• US 20070225609A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor
• Original Assignee: Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor
• Inventors: Wagner, Daniel, Harpes, Patrick, Plumer, Pierre, Rosch, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves

Abstract

The present invention discloses an apparatus for non-invasive heart monitoring comprising a pulse wave transit time (PWTT) determining device for determining a PWTT at predefined intervals, a first storing means for storing PWTT values resulting of the determining, a blood pressure measuring device for measuring a blood pressure close in time with the determining and a second storing means for storing blood pressure values resulting of the measuring. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a cardiovascular dynamic change calculating device for calculating a relative change of the PWTT values and the blood pressure values as a function of time. The apparatus further comprises an alarm emitting device for emitting an alarm if the blood pressure values are substantially constant as a function of time and the PWTT values decrease as a function of time. A method for non-invasive heart monitoring is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for non-invasive heart monitoring comprising:

a pulse wave transit time (PWTT) determining device for determining a PWTT at predefined intervals;

a first storing means for storing resulting PWTT values;

a blood pressure measuring device for measuring a blood pressure close in time with said determining;

a second storing means for storing resulting blood pressure values,

wherein the apparatus further comprises

a cardiovascular dynamic change calculating device for calculating a relative change of said PWTT values and said blood pressure values as a function of time;

an alarm emitting device for emitting an alarm if said blood pressure values are substantially constant as a function of time and said PWTT values decrease as a function of time.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is connected to a host system for remotely monitoring said relative change.

3. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a human weight measuring device for measuring a human weight, a breathing frequency measuring device for measuring a breathing frequency, a heart rate variability measuring device for measuring a heart rate variability, a blood sugar level measuring device for measuring a blood sugar level, a blood oxygen saturation measuring device for measuring a blood oxygen saturation and/or a pulmonary function measuring device for measuring a pulmonary function.

4. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said heart rhythm measuring system comprises an electrocardiogram measuring device and a QRS-wave detecting device, an impedance plethysmograph or a phonocardiograph.

6. A method for non-invasive heart monitoring comprising the steps of:

determining a pulse wave transit time (PWTT) at predefined intervals;

storing PWTT values resulting of said determining;

measuring a blood pressure close in time with said determining of said PWTT;

storing blood pressure values resulting of said measuring,

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

calculating a relative change of said PWTT values and said blood pressure values as a function of time;

emitting an alarm if said blood pressure values are substantially constant as a function of time and said PWTT values decrease as a function of time.

5. An apparatus according to claims 14, wherein said pulse wave measuring device is a photoplethysmograph based on a SpO2 measuring device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein human weight is included as additional physiological observation parameter.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein breathing frequency is included as additional physiological observation parameter.

9. The method according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein heart rate variability is included as additional physiological observation parameter.

10. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 9, wherein blood sugar level is included as additional physiological observation parameter.

11. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 10, wherein blood oxygen saturation is included as additional physiological observation parameter.

12. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 11, wherein pulmonary function is included as additional physiological observation parameter.

13. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 12, further comprising the step of applying said method to patients with congestive heart failure.

14. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 13, further comprising the step of applying said method to athletes and/or astronauts.

15. The method according to any of the claims 6 to 14, wherein said PWTT is derived by means of a heart rhythm measuring system and a pulse wave measuring device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said heart rhythm measuring system comprises an electrocardiogram measuring device and a QRS-wave detecting device, an impedance plethysmograph or a phonocardiograph.