Approaches to determining health of a living body through analysis of the pressure of inflatable chambers of a pressure-mitigation device
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Publication Number
US-12251347-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
Introduced here are pressure-mitigation systems able to mitigate the pressure applied to a human body by the surface of an object. A system can include a pressure-mitigation device with chambers whose pressure can be varied by a controller that regulates the flow of fluid produced by a pump. The controller may be deployed as part of a closed loop system that autonomously infers information related to the health of a patient based on data related to the pressure of these chambers. For example, the data may be examined to determine whether the values indicate the patient is properly situated. A notification may be presented responsive to determining that the patient is not situated on the pressure-mitigation device, the patient has been improperly situated on the pressure-mitigation device for a certain amount of time, etc. Thus, real-time feedback may be provided to those responsible for monitoring the patient.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a controller and controller-performed method for controlling airflow into a pressure-mitigation device that includes a plurality of chambers. An egress interface of a structural body fluidly couples to the pressure-mitigation device, and the egress interface has a plurality of outlets, each associated with a different chamber. A plurality of transducers generate electrical signals representative of a rate at which air is flowing through corresponding outlets into corresponding chambers to maintain a desired pressure.
The processor examines the plurality of electrical signals to identify changes in the rates at which air is flowing through the outlets into the chambers. Based on the identified changes, the processor infers movements of a living body situated on the pressure-mitigation device and establishes values for a characteristic of the living body over time based on the movements.
In a further aspect, motions of the living body are characterized based on changes in multiple series of pressure-indicative values generated by multiple transducers located in a controller. A computer-implemented model that is trained detects a motion pattern indicative of an occurrence of a medical event, and in response to a determination that the medical event has occurred, a notification is presented to indicate that the living body is in need of care.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides three independent claims. Together, they cover sensing transducer signals and pressure-indicative value series, inferring movement, estimating a living-body characteristic, and detecting a medical event with notification.
Controller with egress interface outlets mapped to chamber airflow transduction
A controller for controlling airflow into a pressure-mitigation device that includes a plurality of chambers, the controller comprising a structural body that includes an egress interface with a plurality of outlets, each associated with a different one of the plurality of chambers, and configured so that the outlets allow fluid coupling to the pressure-mitigation device.
Transducers generating electrical signals representative of air-flow rates into chambers
A plurality of transducers housed inside the structural body configured to generate electrical signals, wherein each electrical signal is representative of a rate at which air is flowing through a corresponding one of the plurality of outlets into a corresponding one of the plurality of chambers to maintain a desired pressure.
Inferring movements from changes in outlet/chamber airflow-rate signals and establishing characteristic values over time
A processor housed inside the structural body configured to examine the plurality of electrical signals to identify changes in the rates at which air is flowing through the plurality of outlets into the plurality of chambers, infer movements of a living body situated on the pressure-mitigation device based on the changes, and establish values for a characteristic of the living body over time based on the movements.
Method obtaining pressure-representative transducer signal in a flow channel to represent chamber pressure
A method performed by a controller comprising obtaining, from a transducer situated in a flow channel defined between the valve and the egress interface, an electrical signal representative of pressure within the flow channel, and therefore representative of pressure of the chamber of the pressure-mitigation device.
Examining pressure-representative electrical signals to identify movement-indicative changes and estimating a living-body characteristic
Examining the electrical signal to identify changes indicative of movements of the living body, and estimating a value for a characteristic of the living body based on the movements of the living body.
Non-transitory medium obtaining time-ordered pressure-indicative value series from multiple chambers
A non-transitory medium with instructions causing a processor to obtain multiple series of values in temporal order, wherein each series is indicative of pressure of a corresponding one of multiple chambers of a pressure-mitigation device situated beneath a living body over time, and wherein each series is generated by a corresponding one of multiple transducers located in a controller to which the pressure-mitigation device is fluidly coupled.
Characterizing motions and applying a trained model to detect a medical event based on a motion pattern
Characterizing motions of the living body based on an analysis of changes in the multiple series of values, applying a computer-implemented model that is trained to detect a motion pattern indicative of an occurrence of a medical event, and in response to a determination that the medical event has occurred, causing a notification to be presented to indicate that the living body is in need of care.
The claim coverage focuses on measuring pressure- or airflow-related transducer signals per chamber or flow channel, using signal changes to infer movements and estimate a living-body characteristic, and using a trained computer-implemented model to detect a medical event based on a motion pattern, followed by presenting a notification.
Stated Advantages
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