Automatic detection-therapy systems for cardiac arrhythmias and cardiovascular monitoring system

A cardiovascular monitoring apparatus, comprising:

• an auricular electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system comprising an ECG recording module and at least two ECG sensor electrodes including a first ECG sensor electrode and a second ECG sensor electrode, wherein the first ECG sensor electrode and the second ECG sensor electrode are configured to contact separate areas on a first ear of a wearer, wherein the first and the second ECG sensor electrodes are in electronic communication with the ECG recording module, wherein the ECG recording module is configured to record the wearer's ECG data;
• an auricular speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) unit configured to contact the skin of the first ear of the wearer, wherein the auricular SCOS unit is configured to record the wearer's cerebral blood flow data;
• a network interface;
• and
• a processing unit in electronic communication with the auricular ECG monitoring system, the auricular SCOS unit and the network interface, wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the ECG data recorded by the auricular ECG monitoring system to detect presence or cessation of serious cardiac arrhythmia and presence or cessation of impending serious cardiac arrhythmia, wherein the processing unit is also configured to analyze the wearer's cerebral blood flow data recorded by the auricular SCOS unit to detect presence or cessation of a decrease of cerebral blood flow more than a predetermined percentage,
• wherein when the processing unit detects presence of ECG data suggestive of serious cardiac arrhythmia that does not co-occur with presence of cerebral blood flow data showing a decrease of cerebral blood flow more than the predetermined percentage, the processing unit is configured to send signals to the network interface to prompt the network interface to send a notification to at least one of:
• a client device of the wearer and a client device of the wearer's healthcare provider;
• wherein when the processing unit detects co-occurrence of both of the following:
• presence of ECG data suggestive of serious cardiac arrhythmia and presence of cerebral blood flow data showing a decrease of cerebral blood flow more than the predetermined percentage, the processing unit is configured to send signals to the network interface to prompt the network interface to send an urgent notification to at least one of:
• a client device of the wearer and a client device of the wearer's healthcare provider,
• wherein when the processing unit detects presence of ECG data suggestive of impending serious cardiac arrhythmia, the processing unit is configured to send signals to the network interface to prompt the network interface to send a notification to at least one of:
• the client device of the wearer and the client device of the healthcare provider of the wearer, and
• wherein when the processing unit detects all of the following:
• cessation of ECG signals suggestive of serious cardiac arrhythmia, cessation of ECG signals suggestive of impending serious cardiac arrhythmia, cessation of a decrease of cerebral blood flow more than the predetermined percentage, the processing unit is further configured to send signals to the network interface to prompt the network interface to send a cessation notification to at least one of:
• the client device of the wearer and the client device of the healthcare provider of the wearer.

A closed-loop neuromodulation apparatus, comprising

• a cardiovascular monitoring system, comprising an auricular electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system, and at least one of:
• a speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) unit, a speckle-plethysmography (SPG) unit and a photoplethysmography (PPG) unit, wherein the auricular electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system is configured to record ECG data of a wearer, wherein the auricular ECG monitoring system is configured to be housed in an auricular housing, wherein the auricular housing is configured to be placed in a first ear of a wearer when in use, wherein the auricular speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) unit is configured to be housed in the auricular housing, wherein the auricular SCOS unit is configured to record the wearer's cerebral and extracranial blood flow data, wherein the SPG unit is configured to be housed in the auricular housing and configured to contact a location of the skin of the wearer's first ear when in use, wherein the SPG unit is configured to record the wearer's regional blood flow data at the location where the SPG unit contacts the wearer's first ear, wherein the SPG unit is also configured to record systolic blood pressure data and diastolic blood pressure data of the wearer, and wherein the PPG unit is configured to record the wearer's regional blood flow data at the location where the PPG unit contacts the wearer's first ear, and wherein the PPG unit is also configured to record systolic blood pressure data and diastolic blood pressure data of the wearer;
• a neuromodulation system, comprising at least one of the following components:
• a transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation unit (taVNS unit), an auriculotemporal nerve stimulation unit, and a greater auricular nerve stimulation unit, wherein each component of the neuromodulation system is configured to give neuromodulating electric stimulation to the wearer when activated, wherein the taVNS unit includes a taVNS stimulating electrode, wherein the auriculotemporal nerve stimulation unit includes an auriculotemporal nerve stimulating electrode, wherein the greater auricular nerve stimulation unit includes a greater auricular nerve stimulating electrode, and wherein the taVNS stimulating electrode, the auriculotemporal nerve stimulating electrode and the greater auricular nerve stimulating electrode are configured to be housed together in the auricular housing and are further configured to automatically contact their respective innervated auricular skin when the auricular housing is placed in the wearer's ear;
• a multi-functional switch-timer in electronic communication with each component of the neuromodulation system, wherein the multi-functional switch-timer is configured to enable the wearer to turn on or turn off each component of the neuromodulation system, to select at least one component of the neuromodulation system and to select timing course for each component of the neuromodulation system, and
• a processing unit in electronic communication with the auricular ECG monitoring system and at least one of:
• the SCOS unit the SPG unit and the PPG unit, wherein the processing unit is also in electronic communication with the multi-functional switch-timer and each component of the neuromodulation system, wherein the processing unit comprises a closed-loop control system and R-wave synchronization mode, wherein when at least one component of the neuromodulation system is turned on by the wearer via the multifunctional switch-timer, the processing unit and the closed-loop control system are configured to regulate the stimulation parameters and the timing course using the continuous input ECG data recorded by the auricular ECG monitoring system and at least one of the following continuous input data:
• the wearer's cerebral and extracranial blood flow data recorded by the auricular SCOS unit, the wearer's regional blood flow data, systolic blood pressure data and diastolic blood pressure data recorded by the SPG unit and the wearer's regional blood flow data, systolic blood pressure data and diastolic blood pressure data recorded the PPG unit, and wherein the closed-loop control system and the processing unit are further configured to use the R-wave synchronization mode to guide the neuromodulating electric stimulation to the wearer.