Patient temperature response control system and method

Abstract

A system and method are provided that employ a monitoring device to monitor at least one patient physiological response to a change in temperature of the patient (e.g. pursuant to induced hypothermia therapy), wherein a monitoring signal is provided by the monitoring device. In turn, an output (e.g. a visual and/or auditory output) may be provided to a user indicative of at least one measure of patient response to the change in temperature. Alternatively or additionally, a processor may be provided to process the monitoring signal and provide an output employable by medical personnel to control a patient shivering response to the patient temperature change. Such information may comprise information regarding one or more anti-shivering medicament(s), e.g. corresponding dosage and/or frequency information for use by medical personnel in the administration of the anti-shivering medicament. In one approach, a motion sensor may be selectively attached to a patient's chin to provide a wireless monitoring signal to a transceiver. In turn, the transceiver may provide the monitoring signal to the processor on an ongoing basis to output information useful in the administration of an anti-shivering medicament, including updated information that takes into account a patient's response to a prior administration of one or more medicaments in conjunction with the subsequent administration of an anti-shivering medicament.

1 . A medical apparatus, comprising:
 a monitoring device for monitoring patient shivering and for providing a monitoring signal responsive thereto;   at least one of an energy storage device and a wireless energy conversion device, interconnected to said monitoring device for co-movement therewith, for powering said monitoring device; and,   an output device for providing an output to a user responsive to said monitoring signal and indicative of at least one measure of said shivering.   
     
     
         2 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said output device provides at least one of a visual output and an auditory output indicative of said at least one measure of said shivering. 
     
     
         3 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said monitoring device is selectively interconnectable to and disconnectable from a patient, and wherein said monitoring device is maintainable in fixed relation to a patient upon interconnection. 
     
     
         4 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said output device is one of interconnected and interconnectable to said monitor device for co-movement therewith. 
     
     
         5 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring device comprises:
 a motion sensor selectively interconnectable to a patient.   
     
     
         6 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said motion sensor comprises:
 an accelerometer.   
     
     
         7 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said motion sensor comprises:
 a three-dimensional accelerometer, wherein said monitoring signal comprises three-dimensional acceleration data.   
     
     
         8 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processor for processing said monitoring signal to provide an output control signal for use by said output device in providing said output to a user.   
     
     
         9 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a plurality of motion sensors for separately monitoring motion of a patient and providing separate monitoring signals responsive thereto; and,   at least one of an energy storage device and a wireless energy conversion device, each interconnected to a different corresponding, one of said plurality of motion sensors for co-movement therewith and for powering said corresponding one of said plurality of motion sensors, wherein said processor is adapted to process said separate monitoring signals to provide said output control signal.   
     
     
         10 . A method for use in monitoring patient shivering, comprising:
 monitoring shivering of a patient at monitoring device to provide a monitoring signal responsive thereto;   powering said monitoring device by at least one of an energy storage device and a wireless energy conversion device interconnected to said monitoring device for co-movement therewith; and,   providing an output to a user responsive to said monitoring signal and indicative of at least one measure of said patient shivering.   
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said providing step comprises:
 outputting at least one of a visual output and an auditory output indicative of said at least one measure of said patient shivering.   
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 interconnecting said monitoring device to a patient prior to a therapy procedure, wherein said monitoring device is maintainable in fixed relation to the patient upon said interconnection; and,   disconnecting said monitoring device from said patient after said therapy procedure.   
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said interconnecting step comprises:
 adhesively attaching said monitoring device to a selected location on a patient.   
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 transmitting said monitoring signal as a wireless signal; and,   receiving said wireless monitoring signal for use in said providing step.   
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said powering step comprises:
 converting a wireless power signal to an electrical signal utilizing a wireless energy conversion device, wherein said electrical signal provides power to said monitoring device and to a transmitter for use in said transmitting step.   
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said wireless energy conversion device and said transmitter are interconnected to said monitoring device for co-movement therewith. 
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said monitoring step comprises:
 utilizing a motion sensor interconnected to said patient to provide said monitoring signal indicative of motion of said patient.   
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 processing motion data comprising said monitoring signal utilizing frequency domain processing.   
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said motion data includes three-dimensional accelerometer output data. 
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said processing step includes:
 windowing said three-dimensional motion data;   transforming the windowed three-dimensional motion data to frequency domain data; and,   performing a statistical analysis of the frequency domain data in relation to a plurality of predetermined frequency bands to monitor one of a relative magnitude, degree and stage of patient shivering.   
     
     
         21 . A medical apparatus, comprising:
 a monitoring device for monitoring at least one physiological response of a patient to an change in temperature of the patient to provide a monitoring signal responsive thereto;   a processor for processing said monitoring signal to provide an output employable for use in controlling a patient shivering response to said patient temperature change.   
     
     
         22 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said monitoring device is non-invasive. 
     
     
         23 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said monitoring device is selectively interconnectable and disconnectable from a patient, and wherein said monitoring device is maintainable in fixed relation to a patient upon interconnection. 
     
     
         24 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said monitoring device is selected from a group consisting of:
 a monitoring device for monitoring blood oxygen saturation of a patient;   a monitoring device for monitoring vasoconstriction of a patient;   a monitoring device for surface monitoring of muscular electrical activity of a patient;   a monitoring device for monitoring at least one carbon dioxide parameter of a respiratory gas of a patient; and   a monitoring device for monitoring motion of a patient.   
     
     
         25 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said monitoring device comprises:
 a motion sensor selectively interconnectable to a patient.   
     
     
         26 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said motion sensor comprises:
 an accelerometer.   
     
     
         27 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said output comprises:
 information employable for use in administering at least one anti-shivering medicament to a patient.   
     
     
         28 . A medical as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said information comprises at least one of anti-shivering medicament dosage information and anti-shivering medicament frequency of dosage information. 
     
     
         29 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said information is at least in part, utilizing a magnitude of said monitored responses as reflected by said monitoring signal. 
     
     
         30 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said information is generated, at least in part, utilizing patient-specific data inputted by a user. 
     
     
         31 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said information is generated, at least in part, in accordance with a user-established protocol. 
     
     
         32 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said processor is operable to process said monitoring signal to assess patient shivering response to at least one administration of said at least one anti-shivering medicament to provide updated information employable in a subsequent administration of said at one anti-shivering medicament. 
     
     
         33 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a user interface for providing said output information in at least one of said audible form and visual form.   
     
     
         34 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 33 , wherein said user interface is adapted to receive user input for use by said processor in generating said information. 
     
     
         35 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said monitoring device is adaptable to provide said monitoring signal as a wireless signal. 
     
     
         36 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a receiver, operatively interconnected to said processor, for receiving said wireless monitoring signal and providing said monitoring signal to said processor.   
     
     
         37 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a transducer, operatively connected to said processor, for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from said monitoring devise; and   wherein said monitoring devise is operable to transduce electrical energy from said signals transmitted by said transceiver and to utilize said electrical energy in the processor of said monitoring signal.   
     
     
         38 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 35 , wherein said monitoring device comprises:
 an on-board power source.   
     
     
         39 . A medical apparatus as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said processor is further operable to use said monitoring signal in the generation of an input signal to a temperature control system for controlling a temperature of a patient. 
     
     
         40 . A method for use in controlling a shivering response of a patient during patient cooling, comprising:
 monitoring at least one physiological response of a patient to a change in temperature of the patient; and   generating an automated output based at least in part on the monitored response for use in controlling a patient's shivering response to the patient's temperature change.   
     
     
         41 . A method as recited in  claim 40 , wherein said monitoring step comprises:
 at least one of:
 monitoring motion of the patient; 
 monitoring vasoconstriction of the patient; 
 monitoring muscular electrical activity of a patient; 
 monitoring at least one carbon dioxide parameter of a respiratory gas of a patient; and 
 monitoring blood oxygen saturation of the patient. 
   
     
     
         42 . A method as recited in  claim 40 , further comprising:
 selectively interconnecting a monitoring device in fixed relation to a patient, wherein said monitoring device is employable in said monitoring step.   
     
     
         43 . A method as recited in  claim 41 , wherein said monitoring device comprises a motion sensor, and wherein said interconnecting step comprises:
 adhesively attaching said motion sensor to a selected location on a patient.   
     
     
         44 . A method as recited in  claim 41 , wherein said output comprises:
 information employable for use in administering at least one anti-shivering medicament to a patient.   
     
     
         45 . A method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein said information comprises at least one of dosage information and frequency information corresponding with an anti-shivering medicament. 
     
     
         46 . A method as recited in  claim 44 , further comprising:
 administering said at least one anti-shivering medicament to a patient.   
     
     
         47 . A method as recited in  claim 46  further comprising:
 repeating said monitoring and processing steps at plurality of times; and   utilizing data inputted by a user that corresponds with said administering step in a subsequently performed processing step to provide updated information employable in a subsequent administering step.   
     
     
         48 . A method as recited in  claim 45 , wherein said generating step comprises:
 utilizing patient-specific data provided by a user.   
     
     
         49 . A method as recited in  claim 48 , further comprising:
 receiving input at a user interface in completing said utilizing step.   
     
     
         50 . A method as recited in  claim 49 , further comprising:
 outputting said information to a user in at least one of a visual form and an audible form.