Carotid physiological parameter monitoring system
11375911 · 2022-07-05
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
A61B5/0004
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/02416
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/02438
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/002
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/684
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/7275
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/02007
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/0245
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
A61B5/0245
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61B5/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Abstract
The present invention provides a carotid physiological parameter monitoring system, comprising: an electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring device, a carotid pulse wave detector, and at least one controller. The ECG monitoring device is disposed on a user's left and right wrists or on the user's chest to obtain ECG waveforms. The carotid pulse wave detector is disposed on the user's neck at a position corresponding to the user's carotid arteries for obtaining carotid pulse waveforms. The controller is provided in at least one of the ECG monitoring device, the carotid pulse wave detector, and a mobile device, wherein the controller is configured to obtain the user's carotid physiological parameter(s) (which may include carotid pulse wave velocity or carotid blood pressure) by calculating with the ECG waveforms and/or the carotid pulse waveforms.
Claims
1. A carotid physiological parameter monitoring system, comprising: an electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring device adapted to be disposed on a user's left and right wrists or on the user's chest, wherein the ECG monitoring device comprises a device body and a plurality of electrodes provided on the device body to obtain ECG waveforms; a carotid pulse wave detector adapted to be disposed on the user's neck at a position corresponding to the user's carotid arteries, wherein the carotid pulse wave detector comprises at least one sensor for obtaining carotid pulse waveforms, wherein the sensor of the carotid pulse wave detector is adapted to be disposed at a pulse measuring point on a user's neck, wherein the pulse measuring point is a point in a line segment defined as follows: the line segment starts from a starting point (or 0 cm position) defined as a point that is to a left or right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 3±0.3 cm from, a peak of the thyroid cartilage, and the line segment extends from the starting point (or 0 cm position) for 4 cm along a direction that extends distally at an angle of 135 degrees with respect to a horizontal direction; and at least one controller provided in at least one of the ECG monitoring device, the carotid pulse wave detector, and a mobile device, wherein the controller is configured to obtain a carotid physiological parameter of the user by calculating with the ECG waveforms and/or the carotid pulse waveforms, wherein the carotid physiological parameter includes a pulse wave velocity of the carotid and a carotid blood pressure to determine a degree of carotid stenosis, wherein a mean arterial pressure is obtained through the following equation (I) or equation (II):
2. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ECG monitoring device, the carotid pulse wave detector and the mobile device are connected via wireless transmission.
3. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the carotid pulse wave detector is any measuring device selected from the group consisting of a Doppler radar, a pressure sensor, an acoustic wave sensor, an ultrasound sensor, and a photoplethysmographic (PPG) sensor.
4. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the device body includes a left wrist-mounted device and a right wrist-mounted device; the electrodes comprise a right electrode (RA), a left electrode (LA), and a ground electrode (G); the right electrode (RA) is provided at the right wrist-mounted device; the left electrode (LA) is provided at the left wrist-mounted device; and the ground electrode (G) is provided in the left wrist-mounted device or the right wrist-mounted device and is adjacent to a lateral side of a corresponding one of the right electrode (RA) and the left electrode (LA).
5. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the device body includes a chest-mounted device; the electrodes comprise a right electrode (RA), a left electrode (LA), and a ground electrode (G); the right electrode (RA) and the left electrode (LA) are provided on a right side and a left side of the chest-mounted device respectively; and the ground electrode (G) is provided alongside the right electrode but is not located between the right electrode and the left electrode.
6. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the device body includes a chest-mounted device; the electrodes comprise a right electrode (RA), a left electrode (LA), and a ground electrode (G); the right electrode (RA) and the left electrode (LA) are provided on a right side and a left side of the chest-mounted device respectively; and the ground electrode (G) is provided alongside the right electrode but is not located between the right electrode and the left electrode.
7. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the device body includes a chest-mounted device; the electrodes comprise a right electrode (RA), a left electrode (LA), and a ground electrode (G); the right electrode (RA) and the left electrode (LA) are provided on a right side and a left side of the chest-mounted device respectively; and the ground electrode (G) is provided alongside the right electrode but is not located between the right electrode and the left electrode.
8. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the device body includes a chest-mounted device; the electrodes comprise a right electrode (RA), a left electrode (LA), and a ground electrode (G); the right electrode (RA) and the left electrode (LA) are provided on a right side and a left side of the chest-mounted device respectively; and the ground electrode (G) is provided alongside the right electrode but is not located between the right electrode and the left electrode.
9. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the device body includes a chest-mounted device; the electrodes comprise a right electrode (RA), a left electrode (LA), and a ground electrode (G); the right electrode (RA) and the left electrode (LA) are provided on a right side and a left side of the chest-mounted device respectively; and the ground electrode (G) is provided alongside the right electrode but is not located between the right electrode and the left electrode.
10. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the chest-mounted device is adapted to be attached to a user's chest, the right electrode (RA) and the ground electrode (G) are horizontally arranged in an area higher than and to the right of the user's xiphoid process (from the user's point of view), and the left electrode (LA) is higher than and to the left of the user's xiphoid process (also from the user's point of view) and is horizontally aligned with the right electrode (RA) and the ground electrode (G).
11. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the chest-mounted device is adapted to be attached to a user's chest, the right electrode (RA) and the ground electrode (G) are horizontally arranged in an area higher than and to the right of the user's xiphoid process (from the user's point of view), and the left electrode (LA) is higher than and to the left of the user's xiphoid process (also from the user's point of view) and is lower than the right electrode (RA) and the ground electrode (G).
12. The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the chest-mounted device is adapted to be attached to a user's chest, the right electrode (RA) and the ground electrode (G) are vertically arranged in an area higher than and to the right of the user's xiphoid process (from the user's point of view), with the right electrode (RA) higher than the ground electrode (G), and the left electrode (LA) is higher than and to the left of the user's xiphoid process (also from the user's point of view) and is horizontally aligned with the ground electrode (G).
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(12) The following description is the essential techniques of the present invention that can be understood by the person having ordinary skill in the art. Without inconsistence of the scope or spirits of the invention, the changes and modification can be done for different condition and application. Thus, the implement with changes and modification of the invention still fall within the claims of the invention.
(13) Please refer to
(14) The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system 100 of the present invention includes an electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring device 2 and a carotid pulse wave detector 1. The ECG monitoring device 2 is configured to be disposed on a user's left and right wrists or the user's chest. The ECG monitoring device 2 includes a device body and a plurality of electrodes 21 (e.g., a ground electrode (G) 212, a right electrode (RA) 211, and a left electrode (LA) 213) provided on the device body to obtain ECG waveforms. As shown in
(15) As shown in
(16) Optimally, the pulse measuring point of the present invention is a point in a line segment defined as follows. The line segment starts from a starting point (or 0 cm position) defined as a point that is to the left or right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 3±0.3 cm from, the peak of the thyroid cartilage (i.e., the laryngeal prominence) (or the most prominent point of the neck that lies right below the middle point of the lips), wherein the horizontal distance of 3±0.3 cm may be, but is not limited to, 2.7 cm, 2.8 cm, 2.9 cm, 3 cm, 3.1 cm, 3.2 cm, or 3.3 cm. The line segment extends from the starting point (or 0 cm position) for 4 cm along a direction that extends distally at an angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. For example, the pulse measuring point may be 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, or up to 4 cm away from the starting point (or 0 cm position) in the direction extending distally at the angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. The pulse measuring point of the invention, however, is not limited to a point in the aforesaid line segment; the line segment defined above is only an exemplary range that allows pulse signals to be effectively obtained. The optimal pulse measuring point of a male user is preferably determined as follows. The first step is to find a starting point that is to the left or right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 3±0.3 cm from, the laryngeal prominence (or the most prominent point of the neck that lies right below the middle point of the lips). The second step is to locate the optimal pulse measuring point by finding the point that is 3 cm away from the starting point in a direction that extends distally at an angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. Similarly, the optimal pulse measuring point of a female user is preferably determined by first finding a starting point that is to the left or right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 3 cm from, the laryngeal prominence (or the most prominent point of the neck that lies right below the middle point of the lips), and then finding the point that is 3 cm away from the starting point in a direction that extends distally at an angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction as the optimal pulse measuring point. In a test performed on both male and female subjects, the position where the sensor was disposed was varied, including: point A.sub.−0.3, which was to the right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 2.7 cm from, a subject's laryngeal prominence; point B.sub.0, which was to the right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 3 cm from, a subject's laryngeal prominence; point A.sub.+0.3, which was to the right of, and horizontally spaced apart by 3.3 cm from, a subject's laryngeal prominence; point B.sub.1, which was 1 cm away from point B.sub.0 (or the starting point, or 0 cm position) in a direction extending distally at an angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction; point B.sub.2, which was 2 cm away from point B.sub.0 in the direction extending distally at the angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction; point B.sub.3, which was 3 cm away from point B.sub.0 in the direction extending distally at the angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction; point B.sub.4, which was 4 cm away from point B.sub.0 in the direction extending distally at the angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction; and point B.sub.5, which was 5 cm away from point B.sub.0 in the direction extending distally at the angle of 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. Well-defined carotid pulse wave signals were obtained from point A.sub.−0.3, point B.sub.0, and point A.sub.+0.3 of the male subjects. While carotid pulse wave signals were also successfully obtained from point A.sub.−0.3, point B.sub.0, and point A.sub.+0.3 of the female subjects, the signals from point A.sub.−0.3 and point A.sub.+0.3 were relatively weak; only the signals from point B.sub.0 were relatively well-defined. Moreover, regardless of the gender of the subjects, carotid pulse wave signals were successfully obtained from point B.sub.0, point B.sub.1, point B.sub.2, point B.sub.3, and point B.sub.4, with point B.sub.3 producing relatively well-defined signals and point B.sub.4 producing relatively weak signals. Pulse wave signals were hardly obtained from point B.sub.5. The obtainment of carotid pulse wave signals from point B.sub.4 and point B.sub.5 may have been hindered by the neighboring cartilage structure. As shown in
(17) The sensor 11 in the present invention may be further provided with a controller for transmitting the detected carotid pulse waveforms wirelessly to the controller 23 of the ECG monitoring device 2 and/or to the mobile device 3. The carotid pulse wave detector 1 may be any measuring device selected from the group consisting of a Doppler radar, a pressure sensor, an acoustic wave sensor, an ultrasound sensor, and a photoplethysmographic (PPG) sensor.
(18) The device body of the ECG monitoring device 2 in the present invention may be implemented as the chest-mounted device 20. As shown in
(19) Alternatively, the device body of the ECG monitoring device 2 in the present invention may be implemented as the right wrist-mounted device 41 and the left wrist-mounted device 42. As shown in
(20) The mobile device 3 in the present invention may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, or any other common mobile device; the invention has no limitation in this regard.
(21) Please note that the controller 23 in the illustrated embodiments is provided in the ECG monitoring device 2 by way of example only; the present invention has no limitation on the position of the controller 23. Furthermore, there may be one or more controllers 23 provided in any one or more of the ECG monitoring device 2, the carotid pulse wave detector 1, and the mobile device 3.
(22) Each of the controller 23 and the mobile device 3 in the present invention may be further provided with a storage device for storing the carotid physiological parameter(s) recorded. The storage device may be a CompactFlash card (CF card), a Secure Digital card (SD card), a MultiMediaCard, a SmartMedia card (SM card), a Memory Stick (MS card), a mini Secure Digital card (miniSD card), or any other device with a memory function; the invention has no limitation in this regard.
(23) In the present invention, wireless transmission may be carried out via Bluetooth® which is a short-range wireless technology standard, infrared (IR) communication, near-field communication (NFC), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), wireless local area network (WLAN), Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig Alliance) communications technology, ZigBee, Wireless Universal Serial Bus (Wireless USB), or Wi-Fi; the invention has no limitation in this regard.
(24) The carotid physiological parameter(s) in the present invention includes/include the pulse wave velocity (PWV) or blood pressure of the carotid arteries.
(25) In the present invention, the pulse wave velocity (PWV) is obtained through the following equation (I):
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where t is the time difference between the R peak value of the ECG waveforms and the peak value of the pulse waveforms, i.e., the pulse arrival time (PAT), and L is the length of the path along which the pulse propagates through the arteries, i.e., the distance between the aortic valve and the pulse measuring point.
(27) The PWV is related to such factors as the biophysical properties of the artery walls, the geometric properties of the blood vessels involved, and the density of blood. The value of the PWV is an early sensitive indicator of the stiffness (or narrowness) of the arteries. The larger the value, the stiffer the blood vessel walls (or the narrower the blood vessels). The standard/normal PWV is 140 mm/ms. An increase in the PWV of a carotid artery implies an increase in the stiffness (or narrowness) of the carotid artery and a decrease in the compliance of the carotid artery. Conversely, a carotid artery with a low PWV has low stiffness and high compliance. Age and blood pressure are the main factors that influence the PWV, and antihypertensive therapy currently remains the most effective method for reducing the PWV.
(28) The carotid blood pressure is obtained through the following equation (II) or equation (III):
(29)
where MAP is the mean arterial pressure, i.e., the carotid blood pressure; l.sub.p is the length of the path along which the pulse propagates through the arteries between the aortic valve and the pulse measuring point; t.sub.pa is the pulse arrival time (PAT), i.e., the time difference between the R peak value of the ECG waveforms and the peak value of the pulse waveforms; and a, b, and c are correction parameters. The correction parameter a ranges from 0.01 to 0.15, such as, but not limited to, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.10, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, or 0.15. The correction parameter b ranges from 0.01 to 0.15, such as, but not limited to, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.09, 0.11, 0.13, or 0.15. The correction parameter c ranges from 1 to 1000, such as, but not limited to, 1, 10, 100, or 1000. In a preferred embodiment, the correction parameter a ranges from 0.02 to 0.04, the correction parameter b ranges from 0.02 to 0.04, and the correction parameter c is 1.
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where MAP is the mean arterial pressure, i.e., the carotid blood pressure; l.sub.p is the length of the path along which the pulse propagates through the arteries between the aortic valve and the pulse measuring point; t.sub.pa is the pulse arrival time (PAT), i.e., the time difference between the R peak value of the ECG waveforms and the peak value of the pulse waveforms; and A, B, and C are correction parameters. The correction parameter A ranges from 0.01 to 0.15, such as, but not limited to, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.10, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, or 0.15. The correction parameter B ranges from 0.1 to 1.0, such as, but not limited to, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, or 1.0. The correction parameter C ranges from 1 to 1000, such as, but not limited to, 1, 10, 100, or 1000.
(31) In the present invention, the electrodes 21 of the chest-mounted device 20 may be arranged in any of the following three ways. Please refer to
(32) In
(33) In
(34) In
(35) In the arrangements described above, the actual positions of the right electrode (RA) 211 (located higher than and to the right of the user's xiphoid process, from the user's point of view) and of the left electrode (LA) 213 (located higher than and to the left of the user's xiphoid process, also from the user's point of view) may vary with the size of the user's chest. Generally, referring to
(36) When the electrodes 21 of the chest-mounted device 20 are arranged in a way different from the above three, the electrocardiograms obtained tend to include noise or poorly defined peaks.
(37) Please refer to
(38) The carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of the present invention obtains a user's carotid physiological parameter(s) through the carotid pulse wave detector 1 and the ECG monitoring device 2 and then transmits the carotid physiological parameter(s) wirelessly to a mobile device through the controller(s) provided in the carotid physiological parameter monitoring system. The mobile device may be one or more common mobile devices.
(39) In the preferred embodiment shown in
(40) In the preferred embodiment shown in
(41) As above, the carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of the present invention is configured to monitor a user's carotid physiological parameter(s) (which may include carotid pulse wave velocity or carotid blood pressure) in real time so that the user as well as a medical professional can use the system for fast screening or to determine the user's cardiovascular health and degree of cardiovascular disease. In addition, the carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of the present invention is non-invasive during use and is not subject to the limitations of the cranium when disposed on the user's neck. Moreover, the carotid physiological parameter monitoring system of the present invention uses a controller configured for wireless transmission and therefore can be disposed on a user's neck and left and right wrists (or on the user's neck and chest) without the drawbacks associated with wired transmission, such as the physical discomfort caused by wires running over a user's body and unstable signal transmission (if not interruption of the ongoing monitoring process) resulting from the wires being caught.
(42) The above is the detailed description of the present invention. However, the above is merely the preferred embodiment of the present invention and cannot be the limitation to the implement scope of the present invention, which means the variation and modification according to the present invention may still fall into the scope of the invention.