Noninvasive Determination of Cardiac Health and Other Functional States and Trends for Human Physiological Systems

• US 20160206244A1
• Filed: 01/19/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,064,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 13/30 Seats having provisions for heating, deodorising or the like , e.g. ventilating, noise-damping or cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0255 Recording instruments specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/40 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the nervous system A61B5/4806, A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/45 For evaluating or diagnosing the musculoskeletal system or teeth A61B5/1036, A61B5/1074, A61B7/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4509 : Bone density determination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 : Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4842 : Monitoring progression or stage of a disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 : Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 : Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 : Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 : using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• 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 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 : in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• 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 8/0875 : for diagnosis of bone A61B5/4504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 : Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 : using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 : involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/006 : using measurement of the effect of a material on microwaves or longer electromagnetic waves, e.g. measuring temperature via microwaves emitted by the object G01K17/003, G01J5/00 take precedence; measuring the effect of a material on X-, gamma- or particle radiation G01K11/30
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

This document describes the assessment of human physiological systems in a manner that can be applied throughout the population. Various noninvasive sensors (including wearable, passive contact, and noncontact) can be used to detect vitals and other parameters and combined with mathematical models to assess the functional state of physiological systems. For example, the health of the cardiovascular system is ultimately determined by organ blood perfusion and molecular gas exchange. In lieu of measuring these functional metrics directly, invasive sensors can be used to monitor cardiac pressures and volumes, along with pressure transit through the vascular to quantify cardiovascular health. While known to be effective these invasive techniques often require surgery and are resource intensive limiting their use to the few cases where the risks and costs are of clear immediate benefit. In contrast, noninvasive health monitors present little if any risk to the person and are simple and easy for the person to use. Further, the techniques described herein can determine trends in a person'"'"'s cardiovascular health. With these trends, a person can know if the effort they are expending to improve their heart health is actually making a difference. Further, negative trends can be found that can spur people to improve their health or to get medical attention. By so doing, these techniques may reduce mortality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from multiple noninvasive health monitors, sensor data for a person;

determining, based on the sensor data received, a functional state of a physiological system of the person;

recording the functional state; and

determining, based the functional state and other, previously recorded functional states for the physiological system of the person, a health trend for the physiological system.

2. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the functional state of the physiological system of the person is a cardiac pressure-volume loop for a cardiovascular system of the person.

3. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes data from at least two of the multiple noninvasive health monitors and for a same time.

4. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the multiple noninvasive health monitors includes two or more different modalities.

5. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 4, wherein the two or more modalities includes two or more of reflected light, sound waves, electromagnetic sensing, radar, or fluid mechanics.

6. The computer-implemented method as described claim 4, wherein two or more of the multiple noninvasive health monitors actively sense the person'"'"'s health.

7. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 6, wherein the person is not required to explicitly operate or actively interact with the two or more of the multiple noninvasive health monitors.

8. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the physiological system is a cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, muscular, skeletal, or integumentary system.

9. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein determining the functional state of the physiological system of the person correlates sensor data from one the multiple noninvasive health monitors with sensor data from another of the multiple noninvasive health monitors, the correlating based on sub-second precision relating to an element of the physiological system.

10. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising, responsive to the functional state exceeding a safety threshold, alerting the person or a medical professional associated with the person.

11. The computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising presenting the health trend for the person'"'"'s physiological system on a mobile computing device associated with the person.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, based on first noninvasive sensor data sensed over a first time period, a first cardiac pressure-volume loop for a person;

determining, based on second noninvasive sensor data sensed over a second time period, a second cardiac pressure-volume loop for the person;

comparing the first and second cardiac pressure-volume loops to determine a change between the first and second cardiac pressure-volume loops for the person; and

determining, based on the change between the first and second cardiac pressure-volume loops for the person, a cardiovascular health improvement or decline.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second cardiac pressure-volume loops are not precise but the change accurately reflects the cardiovascular health improvement or decline.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second noninvasive sensor data includes a ballisto-cardiogram reflecting pressure pulses.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second sensor data are sensed through a mat on which the person stands.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second sensor data are sensed through a toilet seat on which the person sits.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second sensor data are sensed through measurement of skin color variations indicating differential blood volume.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second sensor data are sensed through a radar-field device.

19. A computing device comprising:

a display;

a transceiver capable of receiving sensor data;

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, implements a manager configured to;

receive, through the transceiver and from multiple noninvasive health-monitoring devices, sensor data having different modalities and having associated times at which each of the sensor data were sensed;

determine, based on the sensor data received and the associated times as which each of the sensor data were sensed, a functional state of a physiological system of the person;

determine, based the functional state and other, previously recorded functional states for the physiological system of the person, a health trend for the physiological system; and

present, through a user interface on the display of the computing device, the health trend for the physiological system.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the functional state is a later-in-time pressure-volume loop for the person'"'"'s heart, the previously recorded functional state is a prior-in-time pressure-volume loop for the person'"'"'s heart, and the health trend indicates an increased or decreased inotropy or afterload, a more or less dilated or restrictive cardiomyopathy, an increased or decreased left ventricular hypertrophy, an improved or declined aortic or mitral stenosis, or an improved or declined aortic or mitral regurgitation.