Methods and systems for determining fluid content of tissue
AssigneeZoll Medical Israel Ltd.
InventorsUriel Weinstein, Assaf Bernstein, Eyal Cohen
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Abstract
Diagnostic apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, which are configured to be disposed at different, respective locations on a thorax of a living body so as to direct radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves from different, respective directions toward a heart in the body and to output RF signals responsively to the waves that are scattered from the heart. Processing circuitry is configured to process the RF signals over time so as to provide a multi-dimensional measurement of a movement of the heart.
Claims16
A radio-frequency (RF) based diagnostic apparatus for assessing a target tissue comprising:
- one or more antennas configured for arrangement on a body of a patient so as to at least one of:
- direct radio frequency (RF) waves into a target tissue, and
- receive RF reflections thereof from the target tissue,
- and
- output one or more signals responsive to received reflected RF waves;
- a communication interface;
- processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuitry configured to cause the communication interface to transmit the one or more signals to a remote device to:
- process the one or more signals at a plurality of different points over a period of time to determine a path characteristic of the RF electromagnetic waves relative to the target tissue at the plurality of different points, and
- determine a change in a fluid content of the target tissue over the period of time by comparing the determined path characteristic at a first point of the plurality of different points to the determined path characteristic at a second point of the plurality of different points;
- and
- a coupling material configured:
- for arrangement between a body-facing surface of the one or more antennas and the skin of the patient, and
- to include a first dielectric constant corresponding approximately to that of a second dielectric constant of the skin of the patient.
A radio-frequency (RF) based diagnostic apparatus for assessing a target tissue comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more antennas configured to be disposed on a body of a patient so as to at least one of:
- direct radio frequency (RF) waves into a target tissue, and
- receive RF reflections thereof from the target tissue,
- and
- output one or more signals responsive to received reflected RF waves;
- a communication interface;
- processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuitry configured to cause the communication interface to transmit the signals to a remote device to:
- process the one or more signals at a plurality of different points over a period of time to determine a path characteristic of the RF electromagnetic waves relative to the target tissue at the plurality of different points, and
- determine a change in a fluid content of the target tissue over the period of time by comparing the determined path characteristic at a first point of the plurality of different points to the determined path characteristic at a second point of the plurality of different points;
- and
- a body coupling device having at least one portion configured to include a first dielectric constant, wherein:
- the housing accommodates at least one of the one or more antennas and the processing circuitry,
- the body coupling device is configured for arrangement on the body of the patient so as to place the one or more antenna adjacent the skin of the body proximate the target tissue,
- and
- the first dielectric constant corresponds approximately to that of a second dielectric constant of the skin of the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.