Sensor-Based Adaptive Methods for Wearable Devices

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards apparatuses, systems and methods for providing improved sensor-based patient monitoring and tracking. In accordance with one aspect, a method is provided for adjusting a vital sign alarm threshold of a vital status sensor as a function of a patient's GPS data, which may comprise: altitude data, velocity data, and position data. In accordance with another aspect, a method is provided for adjusting one or more alarm detection parameters based in part on a patient's calculated heart rate variability (HRV) data. According to yet another aspect, an electronic triage tag is configured to include a colored card insertion region for inserting a colored card for preventing the device from being inadvertently activated, an LCD screen and a series of LEDs for displaying the triage status of a patient (red, yellow, green, black).

1 . A method for adjusting at least one alarm detection parameter associated with heart arrhythmia in patients, the method comprising the steps of
 periodically receiving patient heart rate data;   converting the periodically received patient heart rate data to heart rate variability (HRV) data; and   adjusting the at least one alarm detection parameter based on the heart rate variability (HRV) data.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the patient heart rate data is wirelessly received. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the heart rate data is wirelessly received from a wearable computer comprising a processor, a memory, a pulse-oximeter and a blood pressure sensor. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said converting step further comprises: converting the received heart rate data in the time domain to HRV data in the frequency domain. 
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the HRV data in the frequency domain is a ratio of high frequency data to low frequency data, HF/LF. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one alarm detection parameter is adjusted upward for a computed HF/LF ratio substantially in the range of 52 to 76, indicative of a healthy patient. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one alarm detection parameter is adjusted downward for a computed HF/LF ratio substantially in the range of 140 to 204, indicative of an unhealthy patient. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the converting step further comprises: converting the patient heart rate data to heart rate variability (HRV) data in accordance with a power spectrum algorithm. 
   
   
       9 . A method for adjusting at least one alarm threshold associated with heart arrhythmia in patients, the method comprising the steps of:
 periodically receiving GPS data associated with a given patient;   determining that said received GPS data is significantly changed from previously received GPS data; and   adjusting said at least one alarm threshold associated with the detection of heart arrhythmia, based on the received GPS data, upon satisfying said determining step.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: prior to said determining step, determining that said received GPS data is acceptable. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said determination of said received GPS data being acceptable comprises:
 determining that said GPS data is not NULL data; and   determining that said GPS data exceeds a predetermined acceptability threshold.   
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the GPS data is selected from the group consisting of: altitude data, velocity data, position data. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one alarm threshold is a threshold associated with a patient's acceptable minimum heart rate. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one alarm threshold is a threshold associated with a patient's acceptable maximum heart rate.