Alarm system that processes both motion and vital signs using specific heuristic rules and thresholds

• US 9,901,261 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sotera Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sotera Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: McCombie, Devin, Banet, Matt, Dhillon, Marshal, Moon, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US15/431,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20170150893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02125 of pulse wave propagation time
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 : Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 : Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 : Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/322 : Physical templates or devices for measuring ECG waveforms, e.g. electrocardiograph rulers or calipers by template matching A61B5/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 : Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 : Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 : Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 : Arm or wrist
• 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 5/7246 : using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• 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: G08B 21/0446 : worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

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.

Claims

1. A system for continuously monitoring a patient, comprising:

a first sensor comprising a first detector configured to detect a first time-dependent physiological waveform indicative of one or more contractile properties of the patient'"'"'s heart;

a second sensor comprising a second detector configured to detect a second time-dependent physiological waveform indicative of one or more contractile properties of the patient'"'"'s heart;

three motion-detecting sensors configured to be positioned on a forearm, upper arm, and a body location other than the forearm or upper arm of the patient, each of the motion-detecting sensors generating at least one motion waveform indicative of motion of the location on the patient'"'"'s body to which the motion-detecting sensor is affixed;

a processing component configured to

receive the first time-dependent physiological waveform, the second time-dependent physiological waveform, and the motion waveforms obtained from the three motion-detecting sensors

process at least one or more of the motion waveforms obtained from the three motion-detecting sensors to determine a time-dependent arm height for the patient;

process the first and second time-dependent physiological waveforms and a correction value determined from the time-dependent arm height to determine a time-dependent blood pressure for the patient;

process one or more of the motion waveforms obtained from the three motion-detecting sensors to determine a time-dependent posture state for the patient; and

determine an alarm condition by comparing the blood pressure to a predetermined alarm criterion that is regulated according to the patient'"'"'s time-dependent posture state, wherein if the patient has undergone a change in posture state that would result in an expected drop in blood pressure, the alarm criterion is altered to reflect the expected drop in blood pressure; and

a display component configured to continuously display an icon indicative of the patient'"'"'s time-dependent posture state and alarm condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first time-dependent physiological waveform is an ECG waveform.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second time-dependent physiological waveform is a plethysmogram waveform.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first time-dependent physiological waveform is an ECG waveform and the second time-dependent physiological waveform is a plethysmogram waveform.