Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 20090287120A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Ferren, Bran, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Hagen, Jeffrey John
• Application Number:
  US12/152,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• 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 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 : Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 : Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 : characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 : for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1726 : the body parameters being measured at, or proximate to, the infusion site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 : for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2413 : designed to reduce and or shut-off the flow when a certain maximum flow limit is exceeded
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/242 : designed to open when a predetermined pressure or flow rate has been reached, e.g. check valve actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/248 : Ball-valve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 : implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3507 : with implanted devices, e.g. external control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 : local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 : using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 : Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/24 : Check- or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 : specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 : Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 : using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for obtaining and acting upon information indicative of circulatory health and related phenomena in human beings or other subjects.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject'"'"'s body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body; and

means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject'"'"'s body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for detecting the result at least one day after detecting the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject'"'"'s body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for receiving a structural change indication in the result of the one or more comparisons.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject'"'"'s body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for including a current thermal indication of the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body in the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for enabling a performance of the one or more comparisons at a resource remote from the subject'"'"'s body.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for obtaining the result partly based on an indication of one or more nutrients in the subject'"'"'s body.

7. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for extracting the decision whether to transmit the notification from the result of the one or more comparisons.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for deciding to transmit the notification in response to the result indicating a monotonic measurement change over at least N sampling intervals, where N>

1.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for accepting a caregiver'"'"'s input as a determinant of the decision whether to transmit the notification.

10. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for transmitting a conmmon graphical image containing the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body with the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

11. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

a buffer; and

a condition detector configured to apply one or more standards.

12. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for transmitting one or more images of an abnormality in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body with the notification.

13. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for transmitting one or more measurements of the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body with the notification.

14. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

a concentration-indicative sensor.

15. The system of claim 1 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

a force-indicative sensor.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface; and

means for recognizing whether a signal from the user interface apparently contains any of the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensor-containing modules external to the subject'"'"'s body.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more items implanted into the subject'"'"'s body and configured to provide at least some of the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

69. The system of claim 2 in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject'"'"'s body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for receiving a structural change indication in the result of the one or more comparisons.

70. The system of claim 2 in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject'"'"'s body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for including a current thermal indication of the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body in the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

71. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for enabling a performance of the one or more comparisons at a resource remote from the subject'"'"'s body.

72. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for obtaining the result partly based on an indication of one or more nutrients in the subject'"'"'s body.

73. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for extracting the decision whether to transmit the notification from the result of the one or more comparisons.

74. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for deciding to transmit the notification in response to the result indicating a monotonic measurement change over at least N sampling intervals, where N>

1.

75. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for transmitting a common graphical image containing the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body with the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

76. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

a buffer; and

a condition detector configured to apply one or more standards.

77. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for transmitting one or more images of an abnormality in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body with the notification.

78. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

means for transmitting one or more measurements of the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body with the notification.

79. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

a concentration-indicative sensor.

80. The system of claim 2 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body comprises:

a force-indicative sensor.

81. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more items implanted into the subject'"'"'s body and configured to provide at least some of the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject'"'"'s body.

19-68. -68. (canceled)