MONITORING, PREDICTING AND TREATING CLINICAL EPISODES

• US 20080275349A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EarlySense Ltd.
• Original Assignee: EarlySense Ltd.
• Inventors: Meger, Guy, HALPERIN, Avner, Gross, Yosef, Averboukh, Arkadi, Tsoref, Liat, Karasik, Roman, Lange, Daniel H., Ben-Ari, Josef H., Zieherman, Yehuda, Todros, Koby
• Application Number:
  US12/113,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0823 Detecting or evaluating cough events
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B

Abstract

Apparatus (10) is provided that includes at least one sensor (30), configured to sense a physiological parameter of a subject (12) and to sense large body movement of the subject (12), an output unit (24), and a control unit (14). The control unit (14) is configured to monitor a condition of the subject (12) by analyzing the physiological parameter and the sensed large body movement, and to drive the output unit (24) to generate an alert upon detecting a deterioration of the monitored condition. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor, configured to sense a physiological parameter of a subject and to sense large body movement of the subject;

an output unit; and

a control unit, configured to;

monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the physiological parameter and the sensed large body movement, and

drive the output unit to generate an alert upon detecting a deterioration of the monitored condition.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine an activity level of the subject based on sensed large body movements of the subject, and to monitor the condition of the subject by analyzing the physiological parameter in combination with the activity level of the subject.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter is a respiratory rate of the subject, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense the respiratory rate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter is a heart rate of the subject, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense the heart rate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter is a blood oxygen level of the subject, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense the blood oxygen level.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pulse oximeter.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor configured to sense the physiological parameter, and a second sensor configured to sense the large body movement.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a same sensor that senses both the physiological parameter and the large body movement.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense the physiological parameter by deriving the physiological parameter from the large body movement.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a specified range of values for the physiological parameter, and

drive the output unit to generate the alert only upon finding that the sensed physiological parameter falls outside the specified range over 50% of the times it is sensed during a period having a duration of at least 30 seconds.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive a specified range of values for the physiological parameter,

calculate a representative value of the physiological parameter responsively to sensing the physiological parameter at least once every 10 seconds during a period having a duration of at least 30 seconds, and

drive the output unit to generate the alert only upon finding that the representative value of the physiological parameter falls outside the specified range during the period.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition includes pressure sores of the subject, and wherein the control unit is configured to predict an onset of the pressure sores by analyzing in combination the physiological parameter and the sensed large body movement.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to detect a change in posture of the subject, and to decrease a likelihood of predicting the onset of the pressure sores in response to detecting the change in posture.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to decrease a likelihood of predicting the onset of the pressure sores in response to determining that a sensed large body movement is associated in time with a change in a sensed aspect of the physiological parameter.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the physiological parameter includes respiration of the subject.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to increase a likelihood of predicting the onset of the pressure sores in response to determining that a sensed large body movement is not associated in time with a change in a sensed aspect of the physiological parameter.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to identify the sensed large body movement and to minimize an interfering effect of the sensed large body movement on the analysis of the physiological parameter.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to minimize the interfering effect of the sensed large body movement by rejecting sensor data indicative of the physiological parameter acquired during at least some large body movements of the subject.

19-160. -160. (canceled)