BED LOAD CELL BASED PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140135635A1
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Vanderpohl, Irvin J. III
• Granted Patent: US 10,292,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/502
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• 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 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/445 in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A system for determining a physiological signal of a person supported by a person support apparatus using signals from force transducers is described herein. Force transducers communicate with a controller to transmit signals indicative of weight acting on them. The controller determines blood volume pulse information from the signals received from the force transducers. Heart rate and respiratory rate information is derived from the blood volume pulse information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a person support apparatus;

at least two force transducers configured to mount on said person support apparatus, said at least two force transducers configured to generate signals indicative of forces acting on said at least two force transducers; and

a controller comprising a processor configured to receive signals from said at least two force transducers, said controller configured to process signals received from said at least two force transducers to determine blood volume pulse information.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory wherein said memory is configured to store at least one of signals received from said at least two force transducers and processed signals.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller comprising a remote processor, said remote controller in communication with said controller.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with said controller, said user interface comprising a display configured to display messages received from said controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said user interface further comprises an audio output configured to output an audio signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to determine heart rate from said blood volume pulse information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to determine respiratory rate from said blood volume pulse information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to normalize effects of operations of at least one of said person support apparatus from signals received from said at least two force transducers.

9. A person support apparatus comprising:

a mattress configured to support a person;

at least two force transducers configured to generate signals indicative of components of weight of a person supported by said mattress acting on said at least two force transducers; and

a controller comprising a processor configured to receive signals from said at least two force transducers, said controller configured to process signals received from said at least two force transducers to determine blood volume pulse information.

10. The person support apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a remote controller comprising a remote processor, said remote controller in communication with said controller.

11. The person support apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a user interface in communication with said controller, said user interface comprising a display configured to display information received from said controller.

12. The person support apparatus of claim 9, wherein said controller is configured to normalize effects of operations of at least one of said mattress from signals received from said at least two force transducers.

13. The person support apparatus of claim 9, wherein said controller is configured to determine heart rate from said blood volume pulse information.

14. The person support apparatus of claim 9, wherein said controller is configured to determine respiratory rate from said blood volume pulse information.

15. A physiological signal sensing system for use with a person support apparatus, the system comprising:

at least two force transducers configured to generate signals in response to weight supported by said at least two force transducers; and

a controller comprising a processor configured to receive signals from said at least two force transducers, said controller configured to process signals received from said at least two force transducers to determine blood volume pulse information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller is configured to determine heart rate from said blood volume pulse information.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a display device configured to display heart rate.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller is configured to determine respiratory rate from said blood volume pulse information.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a display device configured to display respiratory rate information.

20. A system comprising:

a person support apparatus;

means to generate signals indicative of components of weight acting said person support apparatus; and

means to determine blood volume pulse information from said signals indicative of components of weight acting on said person support apparatus.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means to display heart rate derived from said blood volume pulse information.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising means to display respiratory rate derived from said blood volume pulse information.

23. A method of sensing a physiological signal of a person supported by a person support apparatus, the method comprising:

generating signals indicative of components of forces acting on said person support apparatus using at least two force transducers;

transmitting said signals to a controller; and

processing signals indicative of components of forces acting on said person support apparatus to determine blood volume pulse information.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the operation of determining heart rate from said blood volume pulse information.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the operation of displaying heart rate on a display device.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the operation of determining respiratory rate from said blood volume pulse information.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the operation of displaying respiratory rate on a display device.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising the operation of normalizing operation of at least one of a mattress supported by said person support apparatus and said person support apparatus.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein signals received from said at least two transducers undergo blind source separation analysis resulting in information indicative of said blood volume pulse information.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein said blind source separation analysis comprises independent component analysis (ICA) transform to identify source signals indicative of forces produced by a person onto said person support apparatus, said forces indicative of varying flow through a person'"'"'s blood vessels during a person'"'"'s cardiac cycle.