Acoustic sensor and ventilation monitoring system

Inventors

Joseph, Jeffrey IHELMOND, Noud VanTORJMAN, Marc CDEVINE, Denise LDICCIANI, Nance KLOEUM, Channy

Assignees

Thomas Jefferson UniversityRTM Vital Signs LLC

Publication Number

US-11006863-B2

Publication Date

2021-05-18

Expiration Date

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Abstract

A method of monitoring respiration with an acoustic measurement device, the acoustic measurement device having a sound transducer, the sound transducer configured to measure sound associated with airflow through a mammalian trachea, the method includes correlating the measured sound into a measurement of tidal volume and generating at least one from the group consisting of an alert and an alarm if the measured tidal volume falls outside of a predetermined range.

Core Innovation

The techniques of this disclosure generally relate to a method, device, and system for an acoustic ventilation monitoring system. A method of monitoring respiration with an acoustic measurement device, the acoustic measurement device having a sound transducer, the sound transducer configured to measure sound associated with airflow through a mammalian trachea includes correlating the measured sound into a measurement of tidal volume and generating at least one from the group consisting of an alert and an alarm if the measured tidal volume falls outside of a predetermined range.

Respiratory rate (RR) is routinely monitored during research studies using a tight-fitting band around the wearer's chest or impedance pneumography and current respiratory monitors for in-hospital use measure a change in thoracic electrical impedance to measure minute ventilation. Quantitative measurement of ventilation has not been well established in clinical diagnostics and there is an inability to continuously and accurately monitor/measure airflow into and out of the lungs during ambulation in the hospital or real-world environment.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim recites four main inventive features related to an acoustic measurement device and a method of predicting heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Periodic tracheal sound and temperature measurement

Periodically measuring sound emanating from an airflow through the mammal's trachea with an acoustic measurement device, the acoustic measurement device including a housing including a sound transducer and a temperature sensor.

Correlation of sound to respiratory rate and tidal volume

Correlating the measured sound into a measurement of the mammal's respiratory rate and tidal volume.

Assigning predetermined risk values based on measurements

Correlating the measurements of the mammal's respiratory rate, tidal volume, and temperature to a predefined scale having a set of predetermined risk values indicative of a likelihood of at least one of heat exhaustion and heat stroke; assigning a first value of a likelihood of at least one of heat exhaustion and heat stroke to the measured respiratory rate and a second value of a likelihood of at least one of heat exhaustion and heat stroke to tidal volume; assigning a third value of a likelihood of at least one of heat exhaustion and heat stroke to the measured temperature, the first value, the second value, and the third value each being one selected from the group consisting of a positive score and a negative score selected from the set of predetermined risk values.

Alert or alarm generation based on threshold comparison

Generating at least one selected from the group consisting of an alert and an alarm if a comparison of the first value, second value, and third value exceeds a threshold value.

The independent claim covers an acoustic measurement device with a sound transducer and temperature sensor, correlation of tracheal sound to respiratory metrics (RR and TV), assignment of predefined risk values based on those measurements, and generation of an alert or alarm when the combined risk values exceed a threshold.

Stated Advantages

Produce alerts and alarms when they detect an unstable pattern of minute ventilation or the onset of mild, moderate, and severe hypoventilation or hyperventilation.

Continuously quantify and analyze the pattern of an ambulatory person's respiratory rate, tidal volume, degree of upper airway obstruction, body activity level, body coordination, body position, heart rate, and/or temperature in real-time.

Clinicians may use the AVMS's real-time MV, HR, body activity, and temperature trend data to manage inpatient medical therapy in a more efficient/effective/timely manner—leading to improved clinical outcomes and decreased costs.

Enhance patient safety, improve clinical outcome, and minimize the risk of a malpractice lawsuit when monitoring patients after hospital discharge.

Prevent brain damage and death due an opioid overdose by detecting/predicting the onset and progression of hypoventilation.

Saving lives by automatically triggering an auto-injector device to deliver an opioid reversal medication when the system detects/predicts high risk for an opioid overdose.

Documented Applications

Predicting an opioid overdose by correlating measured tracheal sound into tidal volume and generating alerts or alarms indicating a likelihood of an opioid overdose.

Predicting heat exhaustion or heat stroke by measuring respiratory rate, tidal volume, and temperature and assigning likelihood values to each measurement to generate alerts or alarms if thresholds are exceeded.

Fitness monitoring and training by measuring respiratory rate, tidal volume, and minute ventilation during exercise to track fitness and progress against goals.

Continuous hospital monitoring during anesthesia, procedural sedation, PACU, ICU, emergency room, and general floors to monitor minute ventilation and airway patency with real-time alerts and alarms.

Monitoring outpatients and hospitalized patients taking opioids at discharge or at home using a wearable Trachea Sound Device in communication with a cell phone application for automated analysis and alerts.

Closed-loop delivery of opioid reversal medication by combining the AVMS with a wearable or implantable drug infusion pump to automatically infuse naloxone based upon real-time AVMS data.

Detecting and predicting decompensation in chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by comparing known RR and TV flow rates to measured values and assigning a RIS.

Use by first responders and in industrial settings to detect hyperventilation or hypoventilation conditions that may identify the presence of harmful gases or low O2 situations (for example, oil field, breweries, chemical manufacturing, mining, refrigeration/freezing facilities, aviation hypoxia, and high altitude).

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