Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

• US 8,636,670 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Hagen, Jeffrey John, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rivet, Dennis J., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Minnifield, Nita M
• Application Number:
  US12/152,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: 600/529, 600/484, 600/486, 600/534, 340/575
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

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 vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant including at least circuitry for signaling an administration of one or more therapeutic materials to the occupant; and

a seat configured to bear the occupant.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the seat configured to bear the occupant comprises:

one or more mechanical control features responsive to at least one of the one or more evaluations.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for accepting timing information associated with the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for capturing one or more images as the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for communicating with a device implanted within the occupant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for communicating with a module in physical contact with the occupant.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for comparing the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant with local respiratory-status-indicative information about a second body part of the occupant.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for comparing the local respiratory-status-indicative information with filtering information selected in response to one or more attributes of the occupant.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for configuring the seat in response to the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for detecting one or more tissue attributes of the first body part of the occupant.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for passing energy into the first body part of the occupant.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to record a distillation of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for signaling how often a pattern occurs in the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for transmitting one or more selective notifications in response to one or more controllable parameters.

15. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

one or more optical sensors for obtaining at least some of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

16. The vehicle of claim 1 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

one or more sonic sensors for obtaining at least some of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of wheels configured to facilitate transporting the seat.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an enclosure configured to shelter the occupant at least during transport.

20. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an engine operable for conveying the seat by causing a force to be applied at least to a structure supporting the seat.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of wheels; and

an engine operable for conveying the seat by causing a torque to be applied at least to one of the plurality of wheels.

22. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an engine operable for conveying the seat.

23. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an implantable device.

24. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface component for receiving information intentionally provided by the occupant.

25. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface component for signaling the occupant.

26. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for monitoring a health status of the occupant.

27. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

30. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more position sensors configured to monitor subject and/or region orientation.

33. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to transmit status information about the occupant.

28. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant;

a seat configured to bear the occupant; and

dispensing logic configured to cause a dispensation of one or more therapeutic agents.

29. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant;

a seat configured to bear the occupant; and

one or more lytic-agent-containing dispensers.

31. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant;

a seat configured to bear the occupant; and

one or more sensors configured to monitor a leg portion as the first body part of the occupant.

32. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant;

a seat configured to bear the occupant; and

one or more sensors configured to monitor an arm portion as the first body part of the occupant.

34. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant;

a seat configured to bear the occupant; and

one or more special-purpose substances facilitating effective contact with the occupant.

35. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant;

a seat configured to bear the occupant; and

one or more utility devices configured to be handled by the occupant.

37. The vehicle of claim 35 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for communicating with a module in physical contact with the occupant.

38. The vehicle of claim 35 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for passing energy into the first body part of the occupant.

39. The vehicle of claim 35 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to record a distillation of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

41. The vehicle of claim 35 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

circuitry for transmitting one or more selective notifications in response to one or more controllable parameters.

42. The vehicle of claim 35 in which the circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant comprises:

one or more sonic sensors for obtaining at least some of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant.

43. The vehicle of claim 35, further comprising:

a plurality of wheels configured to facilitate transporting the seat.

36. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant including at least;

circuitry for signaling how often a pattern occurs in the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant;

circuitry for passing energy into the first body part of the occupant;

circuitry for accepting timing information associated with the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant;

one or more optical sensors for obtaining at least some of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant;

circuitry for communicating with a module in physical contact with the occupant;

circuitry for comparing the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant with local respiratory-status-indicative information about a second body part of the occupant; and

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to record a distillation of the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant; and

a seat configured to bear the occupant.

40. A vehicle comprising:

circuitry for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant including at least;

circuitry for signaling how often a pattern occurs in the local respiratory-status-indicative information about the first body part of the occupant; and

circuitry for signaling an administration of one or more therapeutic materials to the occupant; and

a seat configured to bear the occupant.

44. A vehicle comprising:

means for causing one or more evaluations of local respiratory-status-indicative information about a first body part of an occupant of the vehicle including at least means for signaling an administration of one or more therapeutic materials to the occupant; and

a seat configured to bear the occupant.