Method for continuously monitoring a patient using a body-worn device and associated system for alarms/alerts
First Claim
1. A method for continuously monitoring a patient, comprising the following steps:
- detecting a first time-dependent physiological waveform indicative of one or more contractile properties of the patient'"'"'s heart with a first sensor comprising a first detector configured to be worn on the patient'"'"'s body;
detecting a second time-dependent physiological waveform indicative of one or more contractile properties of the patient'"'"'s heart with a second sensor comprising a second detector configured to be worn on the patient'"'"'s body;
detecting a first time-dependent motion waveform with a first motion-detecting sensor adapted to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s wrist, detecting a second time-dependent motion waveform with a second motion-detecting sensor adapted to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s upper arm, and detecting a third time-dependent motion waveform with a third motion-detecting sensor adapted to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s chest, wherein each time-dependent motion waveform is indicative of motion of the location on the patient'"'"'s body to which the corresponding motion detecting sensor is affixed;
processing the first and second time-dependent physiological waveforms to determine at least one vital sign from the patient;
analyzing at least a portion of the first, second, and third time-dependent motion waveforms with a motion-determining algorithm;
determining the patient'"'"'s activity state by discriminating between resting, moving, sitting, standing, walking, running, falling, lying down, and convulsing states by using results of said analyzing at least a portion of the first, second, and third time-dependent motion waveforms; and
generating an alarm by processing the patient'"'"'s activity state and comparing the at least one vital sign to a predetermined alarm criteria corresponding to the activity state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a body-worn monitor that measures a patient'"'"'s vital signs (e.g. blood pressure, SpO2, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature) while simultaneously characterizing their activity state (e.g. resting, walking, convulsing, falling). The body-worn monitor processes this information to minimize corruption of the vital signs by motion-related artifacts. A software framework generates alarms/alerts based on threshold values that are either preset or determined in real time. The framework additionally includes a series of ‘heuristic’ rules that take the patient'"'"'s activity state and motion into account, and process the vital signs accordingly. These rules, for example, indicate that a walking patient is likely breathing and has a regular heart rate, even if their motion-corrupted vital signs suggest otherwise.
503 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for continuously monitoring a patient, comprising the following steps:
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detecting a first time-dependent physiological waveform indicative of one or more contractile properties of the patient'"'"'s heart with a first sensor comprising a first detector configured to be worn on the patient'"'"'s body; detecting a second time-dependent physiological waveform indicative of one or more contractile properties of the patient'"'"'s heart with a second sensor comprising a second detector configured to be worn on the patient'"'"'s body; detecting a first time-dependent motion waveform with a first motion-detecting sensor adapted to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s wrist, detecting a second time-dependent motion waveform with a second motion-detecting sensor adapted to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s upper arm, and detecting a third time-dependent motion waveform with a third motion-detecting sensor adapted to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s chest, wherein each time-dependent motion waveform is indicative of motion of the location on the patient'"'"'s body to which the corresponding motion detecting sensor is affixed; processing the first and second time-dependent physiological waveforms to determine at least one vital sign from the patient; analyzing at least a portion of the first, second, and third time-dependent motion waveforms with a motion-determining algorithm; determining the patient'"'"'s activity state by discriminating between resting, moving, sitting, standing, walking, running, falling, lying down, and convulsing states by using results of said analyzing at least a portion of the first, second, and third time-dependent motion waveforms; and generating an alarm by processing the patient'"'"'s activity state and comparing the at least one vital sign to a predetermined alarm criteria corresponding to the activity state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification