Monitoring pain-related responses of a patient
AssigneeInstrumentarium Corp.
InventorMatti Huiku
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to monitoring of pain-related responses in a patient in order to detect the level of pain experienced by the patient. At least one first measurement signal is acquired from the patient and at least one of the signals is transformed into a normalized signal having a predetermined value range. Based on the at least one normalized signal obtained in this way, a threshold condition is set and a rate at which at least one second measurement signal fulfills the threshold condition is monitored, wherein each of the at least one second measurement signal is derivable from a corresponding normalized signal and indicative of pain-related activity in the patient. The level of pain experienced by the patient depends on the rate monitored.
Claims43
A method for monitoring pain-related responses in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring at least one first measurement signal from a patient;
- transforming at least one of the at least one first measurement signal into a normalized signal having a predetermined value range, whereby at least one normalized signal is obtained;
- based on the at least one normalized signal, setting a threshold condition;
- and
- monitoring a rate at which at least one second measurement signal fulfills the threshold condition, wherein each of the at least one second measurement signal is derivable from a corresponding normalized signal and indicative of pain-related activity in the patient.
An apparatus for monitoring pain-related responses in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- first means for acquiring at least one first measurement signal from a patient;
- transformation means for transforming at least one of the at least one first measurement signal into a normalized signal having a predetermined value range, whereby at least one normalized signal is obtained;
- second means for setting a threshold condition based on the at least one normalized signal;
- and
- third means for monitoring a rate at which at least one second measurement signal fulfills the threshold condition, wherein each of the at least one second measurement signal is derivable from a corresponding normalized signal and indicative of pain-related activity in the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.