Assessing a Subject's Circulatory System

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: an input interface configured to provide signals from at least two sensors for at least two postures including: signals, dependent upon blood presence, from a first sensor when a subject is in a first posture; signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the first sensor when the subject is in a second posture; signals, dependent upon blood presence, from a second sensor when the subject is in the first posture; and signals, dependent upon blood presence. from the second sensor when the subject is in the second posture; and processing circuitry configured to determine and output a metric by combining, according to pre-defined calibration data the provided signals.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus comprising:
 an input interface configured to provide signals from at least two sensors for at least two postures including:
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from a first sensor when a subject is in a first posture; 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the first sensor when the subject is in a second posture; 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from a second sensor when the subject is in the first posture; and 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence from the second sensor when the subject is in the second posture; and 
   processing circuitry configured to determine and output a metric by combining, according to pre-defined calibration data the provided signals.   
     
     
         37 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the provided signals, for each combination of sensor and posture, comprises at least one logarithm of detected light intensity. 
     
     
         38 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the signals, for each combination of sensor and posture, include a time varying component of detected light intensity and a separated quasi static component of detected light intensity. 
     
     
         39 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the signals, for each combination of sensor and posture, include separately a logarithm of a time varying component of detected light intensity and a logarithm of a quasi static component of the detected light intensity. 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the signals, for each combination of sensor and posture, include a signal based upon a light intensity signal detected at an optical reflectance sensor and a signal based upon a light intensity signal detected at an optical transmission sensor. 
     
     
         41 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the signals, for each combination of sensor and posture, include a signal based upon a light intensity signal detected at a first wavelength but not at a second wavelength and a signal based upon a light intensity signal detected at, at least, the second wavelength but not the first wavelength. 
     
     
         42 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the calibration data is used to assess divergence of the provided signals from an expected average of a statistical model of expected signals to produce the metric, wherein the provided signals comprise signals that have been statistically manipulated to be averaged signals. 
     
     
         43 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the calibration data is predetermined using machine learning. 
     
     
         44 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , configured to emulate an artificial neural network comprising a plurality of nodes each of which has associated weights for inputs to the node, wherein the calibration data provides said weights and wherein the artificial neural network receives as inputs the provided signals wherein the provided signals comprise signals that have been statistically manipulated to be averaged signals. 
     
     
         45 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , further comprising a memory storing multiple sets of calibration data comprising a set of calibration data for each of a plurality of predetermined standard sequences of different body postures, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine and output a metric for a particular predetermined standard sequence of different body postures by combining, according to calibration data for the particular predetermined standard sequence of different body postures, the provided signals. 
     
     
         46 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the sensors provide signals from optical reflection detectors. 
     
     
         47 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein at least the first sensor is configured to be placed on the limb. 
     
     
         48 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein at least the first sensor is configured to be placed on the subject's head. 
     
     
         49 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the first sensor provides signals from an optical transmission sensor. 
     
     
         50 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the calibration data is used to assess a divergence of the provided signals from an expected pattern of signals that characterize an expected response of a normalized circulation system to the predetermined sequence of first, second and third postures. 
     
     
         51 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform pattern matching between patterns produced by the provided signals during a kinematic protocol involving at least a change between first, second and third postures and normal circulatory response patterns. 
     
     
         52 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 51 , wherein the weightings are determined by training. 
     
     
         53 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to combine, according to pre-defined calibration data the provided signals, by using summation and weightings. 
     
     
         54 . A system comprising:
 at least a first sensor and a second sensor; and   an apparatus comprising:   an input interface configured to provide signals from at least the first sensor and the second sensor for at least two postures including:
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the first sensor when a subject is in a first posture; 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the first sensor when the subject is in a second posture; 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the second sensor when the subject is in the first posture; and 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence from the second sensor when the subject is in the second posture; and 
   processing circuitry configured to determine and output a metric by combining, according to pre-defined calibration data the provided signals.   
     
     
         55 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the first sensor is at a first location and the second sensor is at a second, different, location. 
     
     
         56 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the first sensor detects light at a first wavelength but not at a second wavelength and the second sensor detects light at the second wavelength but not at the first wavelength. 
     
     
         57 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the first sensor is a reflectance sensor and is attached without clamping using an opaque adhesive collar that closely circumscribes the reflectance sensor. 
     
     
         58 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the first sensor and second sensor are attached to a flexible substrate comprising interconnects that are connectable to the apparatus via an interface, wherein a portion of the flexible substrate, underlying one or more of the interconnects, has a manufactured structural weakness and wherein, in use, the portion of the flexible substrate having the structural weakness connects with the interface which retains the substrate against removal such that on attempted removal of the flexible substrate from the interface the manufactured structural weakness breaks the one or more interconnects. 
     
     
         59 . A system as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein the interface additionally detaches a portion of the flexible substrate to reveal an indicator. 
     
     
         60 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the first sensor and second sensor are attached to a flexible substrate for application to a subject and are connectable to the processing circuitry via a first set of interconnects embedded in the flexible substrate, wherein an ordering of the interconnects embedded in the substrate is dependent upon whether the flexible substrate is for use on a right limb or a left limb and wherein the ordering of the interconnects embedded in the substrate, in use, is indicative to the processing circuitry of whether the flexible substrate is applied to a right limb of the subject or a left limb of the subject. 
     
     
         61 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 ,
 wherein the first sensor and second sensor are attached to a first side of a flexible reversible substrate and are connectable to the processing circuitry via a first set of interconnects on the first side of the flexible substrate and   wherein a third sensor and a fourth sensor are attached to a second side of the flexible substrate and are connectable to the processing circuitry via a second set of interconnects on the second side of the flexible substrate,   wherein an ordering of the first set of interconnects across the first side of the flexible interconnect, when the first side of the flexible substrate is upwards facing, is different to an ordering of the second set of interconnects across the first side of the flexible substrate when the second side of the flexible substrate is upwards facing thereby enabling the processing circuitry to determine which side of the reversible flexible substrate is operational.   
     
     
         62 . A system as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein first signals detected by the first sensor are processed to produce parallel signals that have different frequency components before combination at the processing circuitry and wherein second signals detected by the second sensor are processed to produce parallel signals that have different frequency components before combination by the processing circuitry. 
     
     
         63 . A method comprising:
 attaching at least a first optical sensor and a second optical sensors to a subject; and   connecting the optical sensors to an apparatus comprising:   an input interface configured to provide signals from at least the first sensor and the second sensor for at least two postures including:
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the first sensor when a subject is in a first posture; 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the first sensor when the subject is in a second posture; 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence, from the second sensor when the subject is in the first posture; and 
 signals, dependent upon blood presence from the second sensor when the subject is in the second posture; and 
   processing circuitry configured to determine and output a metric by combining, according to pre-defined calibration data the provided signals; and   moving the subject through a predetermined ordered sequence of different postures including the first and second postures.   
     
     
         64 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the optical sensors are attached by attaching a disposable flexible substrate to the subject. 
     
     
         65 . A method as claimed in  claim 64 , wherein the disposable flexible substrate is attached to a limb and comprises at least one optical reflectance sensor. 
     
     
         66 . A method as claimed in  claim 65 , wherein the flexible substrate is attached using adhesive only and without the use of a clamping force. 
     
     
         67 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the disposable flexible substrate is attached to a subject's head and comprises at least one optical transmission sensor. 
     
     
         68 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein moving the subject through a predetermined ordered sequence of different postures comprises moving the subject between postures to cause a local, as opposed to systemic, circulatory reaction. 
     
     
         69 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein moving the subject through a predetermined ordered sequence of different postures comprises moving the subject between postured to cause, for the subject, a relative vertical displacement with respect to the subject's heart of a subject's peripheral limb without relative vertical displacement with respect to the subject's heart of the subject's head. 
     
     
         70 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein moving the subject through a predetermined ordered sequence of different postures comprises moving the subject between postured to cause a systemic circulatory reaction. 
     
     
         71 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein moving the subject through a predetermined ordered sequence of different postures comprises moving the subject between postures to cause, for the subject, a relative vertical displacement, with respect to the subject's heart, of the subject's head. 
     
     
         72 . A method as claimed in  claim 63 , moving the subject through a predetermined ordered sequence of different postures including the first, the second posture and a third posture.