Continuous transdermal monitoring system and method

• US 9,339,236 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Andrew Johnson, James Mitchell Frix, James Tyler Frix, Robert Andrew Taylor
• Inventors: TAYLOR, ROBERT ANDREW, FRIX, JAMES MITCHELL, Johnson, Andrew, FRIX, JAMES TYLER
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US14/564,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• 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 5/0205 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 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 : Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/684 : Indicating the position of the sensor on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 : using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7214 : using signal cancellation, e.g. based on input of two identical physiological sensors spaced apart, or based on two signals derived from the same sensor, for different optical wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 : Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods and systems for continuous transdermal monitoring (“CTM”) are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment of a continuous transdermal monitoring system comprises a sensor package. The sensor package may include a pulse oximetry sensor having a plurality of light detectors arranged as an array. One exemplary method for continuous transdermal monitoring begins by positioning a pulse oximetry sensor system, similar to the system described immediately above, adjacent to a target tissue segment. Then, the method continues by detecting a light reflected by the target tissue segment. Then, the method continues by transmitting a pulse oximetry reading(s), based at least in part on the light reflected by the target tissue segment, of the target tissue segment. Then, the method continues by analyzing the pulse oximetry reading(s). Then, the method continues by assessing the accuracy of the pulse oximetry reading from the first light detector relative to the pulse oximetry reading from the second light detector.

Claims

1. A system for continuous transdermal monitoring of a target tissue segment, the system comprising a sensor package comprising:

a pulse oximetry sensor comprising a plurality of light detectors arranged as an array, each of the plurality of light detectors configured to;

detect a light reflected by the target tissue segment; and

transmit a pulse oximetry reading of the target tissue segment, the pulse oximetry reading based, at least in part, on the light reflected by the target tissue segment;

a shift sensor configured to detect movement related information about the plurality of light detectors;

wherein the sensor package is configured to;

designate, as a preferred light detector, a first light detector from the plurality of light detectors;

output a pulse oximetry reading from the first light detector, based on the first light detector being designated as the preferred light detector;

determine, based on the movement related information about detected by the shift sensor, that a second light detector from the plurality of light detectors is better positioned, relative to the target tissue segment, than the first light detector;

designate, as the preferred light detector, the second light detector from the plurality of light detectors; and

output a pulse oximetry reading from the second light detector, based on the second light detector being designated as the preferred light detector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pulse oximetry sensor comprises a light source configured to emit light towards the target tissue segment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the shift sensor comprises an accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the accelerometer is one of the group consisting of a 3-axis accelerometer and a 6-axis accelerometer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the shift sensor is a displacement sensor configured to measure distance of each of the plurality of light detectors from the target tissue segment.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the displacement sensor comprises an infrared sensor configured to visualize the location of a target blood vessel of the target tissue segment.

7. A method of continuous transdermal monitoring of a target tissue segment, the method comprising:

designating, as a preferred light detector within a pulse oximetry sensor, a first light detector from a plurality of light detectors arranged as an array, each of the plurality of light detectors configured to detect a light reflected by the target tissue segment and transmit a pulse oximetry reading of the target tissue segment, the pulse oximetry reading based, at least in part, on the light reflected by the target tissue segment;

outputting avulse oximetry reading from the first light detector, based on the first light detector being designated as the preferred light detector;

determining, based on movement related information detected by a shift sensor configured to detect movement related information of the plurality of light detectors, that a second light detector from the plurality of light detectors is better positioned, relative to the target tissue segment, than the first light detector;

designating, as the preferred light detector, the second light detector from the plurality light detectors; and

outputting a pulse oximetry reading from the second light detector, based on the second light detector being designated as the preferred light detector.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pulse oximetry sensor comprises a light source configured to emit light towards the target tissue segment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the shift sensor comprises an accelerometer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the shift sensor is a displacement sensor configured to measure distance of each of the plurality of light detectors from the target tissue segment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the displacement sensor comprises an infrared sensor configured to visualize the location of a target blood vessel of the target tissue segment.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable device having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for continuous transdermal monitoring, the method comprising:

designating, as a preferred light detector within a pulse oximetry sensor, a first light detector from a plurality of light detectors arranged as an array, each of the plurality of light detectors configured to detect a light reflected by the target tissue segment and transmit a pulse oximetry reading of the target tissue segment, the pulse oximetry reading based, at least in part, on the light reflected by the target tissue segment;

outputting avulse oximetry reading from the first light detector, based on the first light detector being designated as the preferred light detector;

determining, based on movement related information detected by a shift sensor configured to detect movement related information of the plurality of light detectors, that a second light detector from the plurality of light detectors is better positioned, relative to the target tissue segment, than the first light detector;

designating, as the preferred light detector, the second light detector from the plurality of light detectors; and

outputting a pulse oximetry reading from the second light detector, based on the second light detector being designated as the preferred light detector.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the pulse oximetry sensor comprises a light source configured to emit light towards a target tissue segment.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the shift sensor comprises an accelerometer.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the shift sensor is a displacement sensor configured to measure distance of each of the plurality of light detectors from the target tissue segment.