Method and apparatus for diagnosing respiratory disorders and determining the degree of exacerbations
Inventors
Melker, Richard J. • Euliano, Neil R.
Assignees
CONVERGENT ENGINEERING Inc • University of Florida Research Foundation Inc
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-7785262-B2
Publication Date
2010-08-31
Expiration Date
Abstract
Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods to monitor respiration and abnormal respiration events utilizing plethysmography. The apparatuses and methods provide an alternative to conventional respiration monitoring methods while enabling accurate yet minimally interruptive and invasive monitoring of respiration. The methods and apparatuses may be employed in the context of sleep studies to determine respiratory related sleep disorders.
Core Innovation
The invention provides monitoring respiration in a patient using a pulse oximeter probe configured to generate a plethysmography signal stream from a central source site. The central source site is a nasal septum, a nasal alar, a pre-auricular region, a post-auricular region, cheek, or ear canal. The respiratory monitoring uses processing by a computer to obtain a separate arterial component signal and a venous impedance component signal.
The core processing identifies peaks and troughs of the plethysmography signal stream, then identifies midpoints or minimum values between the peaks and troughs. An interpolated line connecting the midpoints or minimum values represents the venous impedance component. The venous impedance component is extracted from the signal stream thereby obtaining the separate arterial component signal and the separate venous impedance component signal.
The invention evaluates the arterial component signal, or venous impedance component signal, or both to determine respiratory rate, occurrence of inspiratory events, expiratory events, air restriction or air obstruction, or combinations of these. In methods for respiration-related sleep disorders, the plethysmography signal information is processed while the patient is asleep. Corresponding system and program/product embodiments analyze the arterial component signal stream or venous impedance signal stream, or both, to determine occurrence of abnormal respiration events and/or a respiratory condition or respiratory condition-related sleep disorder.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims include three inventive features that secure a pulse oximeter probe at a central source site to generate a plethysmography signal stream, separate an arterial component and venous impedance component using peaks and troughs with interpolated midpoints or minimum values, and evaluate or analyze the separated components to determine respiratory rate, events, air restriction/obstruction, abnormal respiration event occurrence, or a respiratory condition / respiration-related sleep disorder.
Central source site pulse oximeter probe for plethysmography monitoring
Securing a pulse oximeter probe to a central source site of said patient wherein said probe is configured to generate a plethysmography signal stream from said central source site; wherein said central source site is a nasal septum, a nasal alar, a pre auricular region, a post auricular region, cheek, or ear canal of said patient.
Separating arterial component and venous impedance component using peaks/troughs and interpolated midpoints/minimums
Processing, using a computer, said signal stream received from said probe to obtain a separate arterial component signal and venous impedance component signal, wherein processing said signal stream comprises identifying peaks and troughs of said signal stream; identifying midpoints or minimum values between said peaks and troughs, wherein the interpolated line connecting said midpoints or minimum values represents said venous impedance component; extracting, using a computer, said venous impedance component from said signal stream thereby obtaining said separate arterial component signal and separate venous impedance component signal.
Evaluating separated components to determine respiratory rate and respiratory obstruction/restriction events
Evaluating said arterial component signal, or venous impedance component signal, or both, to determine respiratory rate, occurrence of an inspiratory event, expiratory event, air restriction or air obstruction, or a combination thereof.
Observing venous impedance changes correlating with respiratory rate and inspiratory/expiratory events
Observing changes in venous impedance component signal correlating with respiratory rate, inspiratory or expiratory events, or combination thereof, of said patient.
System for respiration monitoring with computer modules for component separation and event determination
At least one pulse oximeter probe configured for securing to a central source site of said patient and effective to generate a plethysmography signal stream; and a computer communicatingly connected to said at least one pulse oximeter probe, said computer comprising at least one processing module, a first computer-readable program code module for causing said computer to process signals to obtain an arterial component signal or a venous impedance component signal, or both, and a second computer-readable program code module for causing said computer to analyze said arterial component signal or venous impedance component signal, or both, to determine an inspiratory event, expiratory event, an air restriction event or an air obstruction event, or a combination thereof.
Computer program product separating arterial and venous impedance components and analyzing abnormal respiration events
A computer-readable first program code module for causing said computer to process plethysmography signals obtained from a pulse oximeter probe by separating out an arterial component signal stream and a venous impedance component signal stream; and computer-readable second program code module for causing said computer to analyze said arterial component signal stream or said venous impedance signal stream, or both, to determine an occurrence of an abnormal respiration event.
Device diagnosing a respiratory condition by separating arterial component and venous impedance component signals
A device useful for diagnosing a respiratory condition, said device comprising a computer configured to communicate with at least one pulse oximeter probe and a first computer-readable program code module for causing said computer to process signals to obtain an arterial component signal or a venous impedance component signal, or both, and a second computer-readable program code module for causing said computer to analyze said arterial component signal or said venous impedance component signal, or both, a respiratory condition.
Sleep disorder diagnosis using component separation from plethysmography information generated while asleep
Securing a pulse oximeter probe to a central source site of said patient wherein said probe is configured to generate a plethysmography signal stream from said central source site; processing said signal stream to obtain a separate arterial component signal and venous impedance component signal; processing plethysmography signal information generated while said patient is asleep; and evaluating said arterial component signal, or venous impedance component signal, or both, to determine occurrence of an inspiratory event, expiratory event, air restriction or air obstruction, or a combination thereof, wherein said central source site is a nasal septum, a nasal alar, a pre-auricular region, a post auricular region, cheek, or ear canal of said patient.
Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on probe placement at a listed central source site for plethysmography signal generation, peak/trough identification and interpolated midpoint/minimum extraction to represent a venous impedance component separated from an arterial component, and evaluation or analysis of the separated components to determine respiratory rate, inspiratory/expiratory events, air restriction/air obstruction, abnormal respiration event occurrence, and diagnosis of a respiratory condition or a respiration-related sleep disorder.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
Interested in licensing this patent?