Apparatus and method for detecting health deterioration
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsRigoberto PEREZ DE ALEJO FORTUN, Mercedes FRANCO GAY
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Abstract
There is provided an apparatus for detecting the deteriorating health of a patient receiving gas from a respiratory device. The apparatus comprises a sensor unit configured to monitor a flow rate or pressure of a gas that is flowing in a pipe that connects the respiratory device to a gas delivery device worn by the patient, and a processor configured to measure a respiratory rate of the patient based on variations in the flow rate or pressure of gas in the pipe and to implement a trend analysis of the measured respiratory rate. The processor is configured to generate a warning when it determines that there is an upward trend in the measured respiratory rate and that a magnitude of the trend exceeds a threshold.
Claims38
An apparatus (10) for detecting the deteriorating health of a patient receiving gas from a respiratory device, the apparatus comprising:
- a sensor unit (11) configured to monitor a flow rate or pressure of a gas that is flowing in a pipe that connects the respiratory device to a gas delivery device worn by the patient;
- and a processor (122) configured to measure a respiratory rate of the patient based on variations in the flow rate or pressure of gas in the pipe and to implement a trend analysis of the measured respiratory rate;
- wherein the processor (122) is configured to generate a warning when it determines that there is an upward trend in the measured respiratory rate and that a magnitude of the trend exceeds a threshold.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensor unit (11) comprises a sensor device (111) configured to monitor the variations in the flow rate or pressure that are induced by the respiration of the patient.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the processor (122) is configured to implement the trend analysis at the end of each of a plurality of daily time slots using the respiratory rate measured during the latest time slot and corresponding time slots of preceding days.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the processor (122) is configured to implement a trend analysis that comprises calculating a C-statistic for the measured respiratory rate.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the processor (122) is configured to implement the trend analysis using the respiratory rate measured over an analysis period of a predefined number of days.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, and further comprising a transceiver (123) configured to communicate with a remote computer devices.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is configured to be used with a respiratory device that is an oxygen supply device and to monitor a flow rate or pressure of oxygen provided by the oxygen supply device.
The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is configured to be used with a domiciliary respiratory device.
A method of detecting exacerbation of a medical condition of a patient receiving gas from a respiratory device, the method comprising:
- using a sensor unit to monitor a flow rate or pressure of a gas that is flowing in a pipe that connects the respiratory device to a gas delivery device worn by the patient (A1);
- using a processor to measure a respiratory rate of the patient based on variations in the flow rate or pressure of gas in the pipe (A2);
- using the processor to implement a trend analysis of the measured respiratory rate (A3);
- and when the processor determines that there is an upward trend in the measured respiratory rate (A4) and that a magnitude of the trend exceeds a threshold (A5), generating a warning (A6).
An apparatus (11) for measuring a flow rate or pressure of a gas that is flowing in a pipe, the apparatus comprising:
- a differential pressure sensor (1111) having first and second pneumatic input ports (1112, 1113);
- the first pneumatic input port (1112) being configured to receive a flow of gas from a first point in the pipe;
- and the second pneumatic input port (1113) being configured to receive a flow of gas from a second point in the pipe;
- wherein the second pneumatic input port (1113) is configured to delay the flow of gas that flows from the pipe to the differential pressure sensor (1111).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.