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AssigneeCardiosense Ltd.
InventorsHaim Shani, Ittai Shavit
Estimating the term…
A diagnostic medical instrument adapted to determine whether a patient is suffering from a pre-shock, shock, or shock-related condition. The instrument is used in a capillary filling time CFT test procedure in which a skin area in the patient which overlies blood-filled capillaries which normally display a pink color is depressed to expel blood from the capillaries and impart white color to the skin at which point the pressure is released to permit blood to flow back into the capillaries and cause the skin to regain its pink color. The instrument includes a color sensor trained on the sign area and responsive to light reflected therefrom to produce a first signal at the point in time the skin color turns from pink to white and to later produce a second signal at the point in time at which the skin color has turned from white to pink. The time elapsing between the first and second signals is measured to provide a CFT index indicative of the patient's condition.
A diagnostic medical instrument adapted to determine whether a patient is suffering from a pre-shock, shock or shock-related condition, the instrument being used in a capillary filling time (CFT) test procedure in which a skin area of the patient overlying blood-filled capillaries normally imparting to the skin a pink color is depressed by a pressure which is sufficient to expel blood from the capillaries while maintaining normal flow in the veins, said pressure causing the skin to blanch until the skin exhibits a white color, the said pressure being released when a point of maximum blanching is reached to permit blood to flow back to the capillaries at a rate that depends on the condition of the patient to cause the skin to regain its natural pink color;
A method for the diagnosis of a shock-related state in a patient by measuring the filling time of blood vessels subjacent to skin area of the patient, comprising the steps of:
Apparatus for the diagnosis of a shock-related state in a patient and of recovery of a patient therefrom comprising:
Apparatus for the diagnosis of a shock-related state in a patient and of recovery of a patient therefrom, comprising:
A method for the diagnosis of physiological distress in a patient and for recovery of a patient from a state of physiological distress by measuring the filling time of blood vessels underlying an area of the skin of said patient, comprising the steps of:
Apparatus for the diagnosis of physiological distress in a patient and of recovery of a patient from physiological distress in accordance with changes in color of the patient's skin in response to an applied pressure on said skin, said pressure expelling blood from blood vessels subjacent to said skin, said apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the integumentary system, e.g. skin, hair or nails: skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence
Medical diagnosis and surgery
Term ended 31 Jul 2020 (estimated)
This invention relates generally to the diagnosis of medical shock-related conditions and to instruments for this purpose. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for the non-invasive detection of pre-shock, shock and shock-related conditions (other related causes of cardio-pulmonary distress), and for assisting in a patient's recovery from these conditions by monitoring changes in capillary flow in skin areas of peripheral body organs.
The normal skin color at most sites on the human body is generally pink. Skin color depends on the amount of blood flowing in the capillaries through which blood flows from the arterioles to the venules. The present invention resides in non-invasive detection of hemodynamic changes in the skin arteriolar-capillary flow during states of pre-shock, shock and cardio-pulmonary distress. These changes are indicative of a reduction in blood delivery to an organ of the body.
Expressed in its simplest terms, shock is the consequence of an inadequate delivery of blood to a major organ of the human body. Unless shock is promptly treated, this deprivation of blood may give rise to a disturbance in the metabolism of the organ with a resultant damage thereto. Because of the serious consequences of shock, its detection and treatment is regarded medically as an emergency procedure in which time is of the essence.
For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and features thereof, reference is made to the annexed drawings wherein;
FIG. 1A illustrates the structure of a skin color sensing apparatus for the diagnosis of a shock-related condition in a patient by measuring the capillary filling time and rate in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 1B schematically illustrates the color sensor included in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
First Embodiment: Schematically illustrated in FIG. 1A is a CFT instrument 450 adapted to diagnose a shock-related condition in a patient by measuring capillary filling time and rate.
Instrument 450 includes a camera 412, such as a color video camera, fixed in place by a holder 414 above a rigid table surface 411 on which an appendage 410 of a patient rests. This appendage may for example be the patient's finger. The position of camera 412 is adjusted so that the skin area 413 viewed by the camera for purposes of CFT measurement, is in or is close to the focal plane of the lens. Pressure may be applied to and released from skin area 413 manually or by using mechanical apparatus which may be automatically controlled.
Skin area 413 is illuminated by background light, and light reflected from the surface of this area is received in the lens of camera 412. A minimal illumination level of 0.2 lux is sufficient for most currently-available modern cameras for color discrimination. Camera 412 generates an electrical signal having a magnitude corresponding to the particular color of the image received by the camera, this signal being fed by a line to a processing and display unit 400. In the event the illumination level of the background light is insufficient, skin area 413 may be illuminated with a light source, such as a conventional lamp or a Light Emitting Diode (LED).