Wearable Apparatus , System and Method for Detection of Cardiac Arrest and Alerting Emergency Response

An apparatus for the detection and alerting of first responders in the event of a cardiac arrest is a wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device, such as a wristwatch device or bracelet, wherein a non-invasive heart function sensing apparatus and method is based on laser Doppler based measurement of blood flow rate in tissue, comprising:

• [a] a three-axis integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer to generate electrical signal levels corresponding to movement of wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device;
• [b] signal processing hardware componentry and software using electrical signals generated by three-axis integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer to determine if there is no detectable movement of the wearable device for a predetermined period referred to the wearer being in a state of motionlessness;
• [c] one or more photon emitting laser diodes and one or more photodetectors to enable laser Doppler-based measurement of blood flow rate by detection of [i] Doppler-shifted frequency of light scattered from red blood cells due to their movement within blood vessels and [ii] non-shifted frequency of light from stationary skin and connective tissue signal interference on a photodetector and variations in light intensity caused by this interference at a predetermined sampling rate;
• [d] electrical components and algorithm to transform measured time-based signal levels corresponding to variations in light intensity to frequency-based signal levels whose optical signal spectrum is integrated over a predetermined frequency range to estimate the average velocity of flowing red blood cells;
• [e] electrical components and algorithm to continuously analyze measured heart rate value and measured blood flow rate to determine if both measured heart rate and blood flow rate level are below predetermined levels indicative that a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent;
• [f] an actuatable audible alarm in the event that a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent;
• [g] a global positioning satellite (GPS) based receiver or equivalent position locating component to determine latitude and longitude of wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device;
• [h] a look-up table in software to determine whether wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is at any of the pre-programmed locations frequented by the individual being monitored by the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device (e.g., locations, such as, for example, individual's home, another home, office, fitness facility, or the like);
• [i] a cellular phone communication component typical of widely used cell phones to place calls in the event a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent to a pre-programmed, pre-established list of phone numbers including 911 (for use in the U.S.) or other medical emergency response phone number and any other first responders associated with a pre-programmed locations frequented by the individual being monitored by the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device in the event the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is determined to be at one of the pre-programmed locations;
• [j] electrical components and algorithm to generate audible synthesized speech used in issued phone calls to annunciate occurrence of a cardiac arrest, identify the individual's name and specify the exact location of the individual in the form of his or her GPS or equivalent device derived coordinates and, if the individual is at a location with pre-established GPS or equivalent device derived coordinates, the actual address of the individual;
• [k] a non transitory storage medium to store lower limit values of heart rate, blood flow rate and identification indicia for the wearable device;
• [l] the GPS derived latitude and longitude coordinates of the wearable device;
• [m] a rechargeable battery;
• [n] battery charging terminals for coupling to inductive battery charging component;
• [o] an alert indicative of that a cardiac arrest event has occurred or is imminent, and
• [p] an on/off button on wearable device to enable cancellation of an alarm in the event of a false detection of a cardiac arrest.

A system for the detection and alerting of first responders in the event of a cardiac arrest is a wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device, such as a wristwatch device or bracelet, wherein a first type of non-invasive heart function sensing apparatus and method is based on transcutaneous photoplethysmography and a second type of non-invasive heart function sensing apparatus and method is based on laser Doppler based measurement of blood flow rate in tissue, comprising:

• [a] a first photon source having a first wavelength and second photon source having a second wavelength, each continuously or intermittently transmitting electromagnetic energy transcutaneously into tissue containing one or more blood vessels for determination of heart rate based on the photoplethysmographic method;
• [b] one or more photon detectors to continuously and transcutaneously measure photon signal levels associated with said transmitted photons at said first wavelength and said second wavelength, being transmitted from irradiated tissue containing one or more blood vessels for determination of heart rate based on the photoplethysmographic method;
• [c] a three-axis integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer to generate electrical signal levels corresponding to movement of wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device;
• [d] signal processing hardware componentry and software using electrical signals generated by three-axis integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer to determine if there is no detectable movement of the wearable device for a predetermined period referred to the wearer being in a state of motionlessness;
• [e] electrical components and algorithm to continuously analyze measured photon signals to determine whether the measured photon signals are within a predetermined range to confirm that wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is properly functioning and is properly positioned on the individual being monitored and, if measured photon signal levels are within a pre-determined range, continuously derive heart rate value;
• [f] one or more photon emitting laser diodes and one or more photodetectors to enable laser Doppler-based measurement of blood flow rate by detection of [i] Doppler-shifted frequency of light scattered from red blood cells due to their movement within blood vessels;
• and
• [ii] non-shifted frequency of light from stationary skin and connective tissue signal interference on a photodetector and variations in light intensity caused by this interference at a predetermined sampling rate;
• [g] electrical components and algorithm to transform measured time-based signal levels corresponding to variations in light intensity to frequency-based signal levels whose optical signal spectrum is integrated over a predetermined frequency range to estimate the average velocity of flowing red blood cells;
• [h] electrical components and algorithm to continuously analyze measured heart rate value and measured blood flow rate to determine if both measured heart rate and blood flow rate level are below predetermined levels indicative that a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent;
• [i] an actuatable audible alarm in the event that a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent;
• [j] a global positioning satellite (GPS) based receiver or equivalent position locating component to determine latitude and longitude of wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device;
• [k] a look-up table in software to determine whether wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is at any of the pre-programmed locations frequented by the individual being monitored by the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device (e.g., locations, such as, for example, individual's home, another home, office, fitness facility, or the like);
• [l] a cellular phone communication component typical of widely used cell phones to place calls in the event a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent to a pre-programmed, pre-established list of phone numbers including 911 (for use in the U.S.) or other medical emergency response phone number and any other first responders associated with a pre-programmed locations frequented by the individual being monitored by the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device in the event the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is determined to be at one of the pre-programmed locations;
• [m] electrical components and algorithm to generate audible synthesized speech used in issued phone calls to annunciate occurrence of a cardiac arrest, identify the individual's name and specify the exact location of the individual in the form of his or her GPS or equivalent device derived coordinates and, if the individual is at a location with pre-established GPS or equivalent device derived coordinates, the actual address of the individual;
• [n] a non transitory storage medium to store lower limit values of heart rate, blood flow rate and identification indicia for the wearable device;
• [o] the GPS derived latitude and longitude coordinates of the wearable device;
• [p] a rechargeable battery;
• [q] battery charging terminals for coupling to inductive battery charging component;
• [r] an alert indicative of that a cardiac arrest event has occurred or is imminent, and
• [s] an on/off button on wearable device to enable cancellation of an alarm in the event of a false detection of a cardiac arrest, and
• [t] a server comprising a machine and computer software that waits for an alert via cellular communication from a wearable device and responds to an alert according to a pre-programmed set of computer instructions.

A system for the detection and alerting of first responders in the event of a cardiac arrest is a wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device, such as a wristwatch device or bracelet, wherein a non-invasive heart function sensing apparatus and method is based on laser Doppler based measurement of blood flow rate in tissue, comprising:

• [a] a three-axis integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer to generate electrical signal levels corresponding to movement of wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device;
• [b] signal processing hardware componentry and software using electrical signals generated by three-axis integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer to determine if there is no detectable movement of the wearable device for a predetermined period referred to the wearer being in a state of motionlessness;
• [c] one or more photon emitting laser diodes and one or more photodetectors to enable laser Doppler-based measurement of blood flow rate by detection of [i] Doppler-shifted frequency of light scattered from red blood cells due to their movement within blood vessels and [ii] non-shifted frequency of light from stationary skin and connective tissue signal interference on a photodetector and variations in light intensity caused by this interference at a predetermined sampling rate;
• [d] electrical components and algorithm to transform measured time-based signal levels corresponding to variations in light intensity to frequency-based signal levels whose optical signal spectrum is integrated over a predetermined frequency range to estimate the average velocity of flowing red blood cells;
• [e] electrical components and algorithm to continuously analyze measured heart rate value and measured blood flow rate to determine if both measured heart rate and blood flow rate level are below predetermined levels indicative that a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent;
• [f] an actuatable audible alarm in the event that a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent;
• [g] a global positioning satellite (GPS) based receiver or equivalent position locating component to determine latitude and longitude of wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device;
• [h] a look-up table in software to determine whether wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is at any of the pre-programmed locations frequented by the individual being monitored by the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device (e.g., locations, such as, for example, individual's home, another home, office, fitness facility, or the like);
• [i] a cellular phone communication component typical of widely used cell phones to place calls in the event a cardiac arrest has occurred or is imminent to a pre-programmed, pre-established list of phone numbers including 911 (for use in the U.S.) or other medical emergency response phone number and any other first responders associated with a pre-programmed locations frequented by the individual being monitored by the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device in the event the wearable cardiac arrest detection and alerting device is determined to be at one of the pre-programmed locations;
• [j] electrical components and algorithm to generate audible synthesized speech used in issued phone calls to annunciate occurrence of a cardiac arrest, identify the individual's name and specify the exact location of the individual in the form of his or her GPS or equivalent device derived coordinates and, if the individual is at a location with pre-established GPS or equivalent device derived coordinates, the actual address of the individual;
• [k] a non transitory storage medium to store lower limit values of heart rate, blood flow rate and identification indicia for the wearable device;
• [l] the GPS derived latitude and longitude coordinates of the wearable device;
• [m] a rechargeable battery;
• [n] battery charging terminals for coupling to inductive battery charging component;
• [o] an alert indicative of that a cardiac arrest event has occurred or is imminent, and
• [p] an on/off button on wearable device to enable cancellation of an alarm in the event of a false detection of a cardiac arrest.
• [q] a server comprising a machine and computer software that waits for an alert via cellular communication from a wearable device and responds to an alert according to a pre-programmed set of computer instructions.