Systems and methods for monitoring subjects in potential physiological distress

• US 9,492,084 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas AG
• Original Assignee: Adidas AG
• Inventors: Behar, Andrew, Cobb, Jeff, Derchak, Alex, Keenan, Barry, Darnall, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING
• Application Number:
  US11/503,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,750 Days
• Field of Search: 600600-301, 128903-904, 128920-921, 340/539, 340/573.1, 482 4- 9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for monitoring in real time the physiological status of one or more subjects, especially subject engaged in potentially hazardous or dangerous activities. Systems include wearable items with one or more physiological sensors and a local data unit (LDU) operatively coupled to the sensors. The LDUs digitize and filter sensor data, extract physiological parameters, determine abnormal or not acceptable physiological conditions, and communicate to external monitoring facilities. The external facilities display status and data concerning monitored subjects. In preferred embodiments, communication between the LDUs and the external monitoring facilities dynamically adjusts to the condition of the subjects and to system changes such as subjects and external facilities entering and leaving and/or moving from place to place. The invention also provides program products for performing this invention'"'"'s methods.

Claims

1. A method for real-time monitoring of a subject using a monitoring apparatus, wherein the monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of physiological sensors, a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

the plurality of physiological sensors obtaining sensor data from the subject, said sensor data including anatomical data indicative of changes in a cross-sectional area of the subject'"'"'s torso over time,

the processor determining a physiological parameter for the subject as a function of said anatomical data;

the processor accessing a library of subject data stored in the memory of said monitoring apparatus, the subject data including a plurality of baseline physiological parameters, the baseline physiological parameters including at least one of baseline cardiac rate, baseline cardiac stroke volume, baseline respiration rate, baseline respiration tidal volume and baseline minute ventilation;

the processor comparing said physiological parameter for the subject to said library of subject data;

the processor determining a physiological state of the subject as a function of said physiological sensor data, said physiological parameter, and said library of subject data, the determination of physiological state includes an indication of whether said physiological parameter of the subject is within a target range,

the processor determining a reason for the physiological state for the subject such that the processor adjusts processing of the data to more frequently sample and process data from pertinent sensors based on the reason for the determined physiological state;

the monitoring apparatus wirelessly transmitting said physiological state to a selected external monitoring display unit so as to provide a message to inquire a response from an individual monitoring the external monitoring display unit; and

displaying said physiological state and said message at said selected external monitoring display unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring apparatus for obtaining physiological sensor data and determining physiological state is a portable data unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected external monitoring display unit is selected from a plurality of available external monitoring display units.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one external monitoring display unit of said plurality of available external monitoring display units has a higher signal strength than the remaining available external monitoring display units, and wherein said selected external monitoring display unit comprises said external monitoring display unit having the higher signal strength.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of available external monitoring display units has an assigned priority, and wherein said selected external monitoring display unit is selected based on said assigned priorities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said physiological state includes said physiological parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said physiological state is transmitted in dependence on whether a determined physiological parameter associated with the subject is within the target range.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said library of subject data includes temporal trends for said physiological parameters, said temporal trends describing physiological functioning, and wherein said indication of whether said physiological parameter is within a target range is further determined in dependence on at least one of said temporal trends.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter includes at least one of cardiac stroke volume, respiration rate, respiratory tidal volume, and minute ventilation.

10. A method for real-time monitoring of a subject using a monitoring apparatus, wherein the monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of physiological sensors, a memory and a processor, the method comprising;

the plurality of physiological sensors obtaining sensor data from the subject, said sensor data including anatomical data indicative of changes in a cross-sectional area of the subject'"'"'s torso over time;

the processor determining a physiological parameter for the subject as a function of said anatomical data;

the processor accessing a library of subject data stored in the memory of said monitoring apparatus;

the processor determining a physiological state of the subject as a function of said physiological sensor data, said physiological parameter, said library of subject data, and said determination of physiological state including an indication of whether said physiological parameter of the subject is within a target range such that the processor adjusts processing of the data to more frequently sample and process data from pertinent sensors based on the reason for the determined physiological state;

the monitoring apparatus wirelessly transmitting, said physiological state to a selected external monitoring display unit so as to provide a message to inquire a response from an individual monitoring the external monitoring display unit; and

displaying, said physiological state and said message at said selected external monitoring display unit,

wherein displaying said physiological state further comprises displaying at least one icon for the subject, said icon representing a physiological state.

11. A method for real-time monitoring of a subject using a monitoring apparatus, wherein the monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of physiological sensors and a processor, the method comprising:

the plurality of physiological sensors obtaining sensor data from the subject, said sensor data including anatomical data indicative of changes in a cross-sectional area of the subject'"'"'s torso over time;

the processor determining a physiological parameter for the subject as a function of said anatomical data;

the processor accessing a library of subject data stored in the memory of said monitoring apparatus,

the processor comparing said physiological parameter for the subject to said library of subject data;

the processor determining a physiological state of the subject as a function of said physiological sensor data, said physiological parameter, said library of subject data, said determination of physiological state including an indication of whether said physiological parameter of a subject is within a target range such that the processor adjusts processing of the data to more frequently sample and process data from pertinent sensors based on the reason for the determined physiological state;

the monitoring apparatus wirelessly transmitting, said physiological state to a selected external monitoring display unit so as to provide a message to inquire a response from an individual monitoring the external monitoring display unit; and

displaying said physiological state and said message at said selected external monitoring display unit,

wherein displaying the physiological state further comprises displaying at least one icon for the subject, the icon representing a physiological state, and

wherein said physiological state further comprises location information associated with the subject, and wherein said icons are displayed in a layout representing the actual physical locations of the subject.

12. A method for real-time monitoring of a subject using a monitoring apparatus, wherein said monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of physiological sensors, a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

the plurality of physiological sensors obtaining sensor data from the subject, said sensor data including anatomical data indicative of changes in a cross-sectional area of the subject'"'"'s torso over time,

the processor determining a physiological parameter for the subject as a function of said anatomical data;

the processor accessing a library of subject data stored in the memory of said monitoring apparatus and comparing the physiological parameter of the subject to data accessed from the library of subject data;

the processor determining a physiological state and a reason for the physiological state of the subject as a function of said physiological sensor data, said physiological parameter, and said library of subject data, said determination physiological state including an indication of whether said physiological parameter of the subject is within a target range;

the monitoring apparatus wirelessly transmitting said physiological state to a selected external monitoring display unit so as to provide a message to inquire a response from an individual monitoring the external monitoring display unit; and

displaying said physiological state and said message at said selected external monitoring display unit in real time,

wherein said selected external monitoring display unit is a portable monitor at the location of the subject.