Cardiovascular Disease Screening Method and Apparatus

• US 20110270051A1
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Company Limited (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Company Limited (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Panthagani, David S., Naghavi, Morteza, Hassan, Haider Ali, Yen, Albert Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/099,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• 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 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0535 Impedance plethysmography for measuring blood flow A61B5/0295
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

The disclosure teaches non-invasive, inexpensive and reproducible tests that provide improved measurement of risk assessment by measurement of the following parameters of a subject. The disclosure includes intima-media thickness, augmentation index, arterial wall elasticity, central arterial pressure, electrocardiogram impedance, cardiograph blood pressure measurement, ankle-brachial index, 3D (three dimensional) plaque volume, vessel wall volume, and diameter waveform pattern characterization. Further, the disclosure teaches that satisfactory measurement of risk assessment may be achieved by conducting any four of the aforementioned tests.

Claims

1. A method for assessment of cardiovascular health, comprising the measuring and calculating of at least four of the following parameters in a subject:

a) Intima-Media thickness;

b) Augmentation Index;

c) Arterial wall elasticity;

d) Central arterial pressure;

e) Electrocardiogram;

f) Blood pressure measurement;

g) Ankle-brachial Index;

h) 3D (three dimensional) vessel wall and plaque volume; and

i) Diameter waveform pattern characterization.

2. The method in claim 1 wherein the parameters include:

a) Intima-Media thickness;

b) Arterial wall elasticity;

c) 3D (three dimensional) vessel wall and plaque volume; and

e) Diameter waveform pattern characterization.

3. The method in claim 1 where the Augmentation Index is based on the ratio of peak systolic diameter and peak diastolic diameter of the vessel, extracted from the vessel diameter waveform.

4. The method in claim 1 where the central arterial pressure is measured in conjunction with brachial blood pressure and a surrogate measure of carotid pressure waveform is measured by carotid ultrasound.

5. The method in claim 1 where the 3D volumetric assessment is performed in conjunction with measurement and calculation of:

a) Total plaque burden;

b) Longitudinal surface area of plaque;

c) 3D plaque volume measurement; and

d) Vessel wall volume.

6. The method in claim 4 where 3D volumetric assessment is rendered with 3D graphics for visual representation of the various parameters.

9. The method in claim 1 where the diameter waveform pattern characterization depends upon the analysis of the waveform morphology and amplitude as well as additional arterial parameters calculated from the diameter waveform and Doppler flow velocity signals, including but not limited to:

a) Resonance of the artery;

b) Vascular impedance based on velocity and diameter;

c) Impedance spectrum;

d) Reflection coefficient; and

e) Forward and backward waveforms.

7. A method of using 3D ultrasonic volumetric assessment of arterial wall to monitor response to therapy and changes (progression or regression) in status of cardiovascular disease.

8. An apparatus and automated method of utilizing ultrasonic signals to continuously measure and calculate brachial artery diameter pre, post, and during a cuff induced reactive hyperemia protocol for assessment of vascular function as an indicator of cardiovascular health.

10. An apparatus for assessment of cardiovascular health, comprising components for the measurements and calculations of the following parameters in a subject:

a) Intima-Media thickness;

b) Augmentation Index;

c) Arterial wall elasticity;

d) Central Arterial pressure;

e) Electrocardiogram;

f) Blood pressure measurement;

g) Ankle-brachial Index;

h) 3D (three dimensional) vessel wall and plaque volume; and

i) Diameter waveform pattern characterization.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an impedance cardiograph.

12. The method and apparatus for measuring a diameter of a brachial artery by evaluating the measured percentage difference of a basal diameter and hyperemic diameter of the brachial artery by measuring the diameter of the brachial artery by ultrasound, occluding the brachial artery with a sphygmomanometer, causing ischemia and followed by deflation of the sphygmomanometer and measuring the brachial artery diameter during hyperemia.