Monitoring, predicting and treating clinical episodes

Abstract

An apparatus having a sensor, a bed, and a control unit. The sensor is configured to sense a physiological parameter of a subject and generate a signal in response thereto. The control unit is configured to monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the physiological parameter and drive the bed to provide an intervention in response to the monitoring.

1 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense a physiological parameter of a subject and generate a signal in response thereto;   a bed; and   a control unit configured to:
 monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the physiological parameter, and 
 drive the bed to provide an intervention in response to the monitoring. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more weight sensors coupled to the bed. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus for use with a bed, the apparatus comprising:
 a sensor, configured to sense a physiological parameter of a subject and generate a signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured to:
 monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the physiological parameter, and 
 drive the bed to provide an intervention is response to the monitoring. 
   
     
     
         4 . Apparatus for use with a bed that includes a sensor, the apparatus comprising:
 a control unit comprising:
 monitoring functionality, configured to monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing a signal indicative of a physiological parameter sensed by the sensor, and 
 drive functionality, configured to drive the bed to provide an intervention in response to the monitoring. 
   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  or  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to drive the bed to rotate the subject, in response to the monitoring. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  or  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to drive the bed to change a backrest angle of the bed, in response to the monitoring. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according, to  claim 1  or  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to drive the bed to provide vibration treatment to the subject, in response to the monitoring. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  or  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to derive a rate of posture changes of the subject in response to the sensed motion of the subject. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  or  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to derive a respiratory rate of the subject from the signal. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more weight sensors couplable to the bed. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus comprising:
 a motion sensor, configured to sense motion of a subject on a bed without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject Is wearing, and generate a motion signal in response thereto;   a weight sensor, configured to measure a weight of the subject on a portion of the bed and generate a weight signal in response thereto;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:
 analyze the motion signal, 
 in response to the analyzing, identify an aspect of the motion signal indicative of a possible need to generate an alert, and 
 reduce an incidence of false alert by identifying whether a change in the weight signal is generally simultaneous with the identified aspect of the motion signal, and;
 if so, withholding driving the output unit to generate an alert, and 
 if not, driving the output unit to generate an alert. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . Apparatus comprising:
 a motion sensor, configured to sense motion of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing, and to generate a motion signal in response thereto;   a weight sensor, configured to measure a weighs of the subject on the bed, and generate a weight signal in response thereto;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to analyse (a) changes in heart rate and respiratory rate by analyzing the motion signal, in combination with (b) changes in the weight signal, and to drive the output unit to generate an alert in response to the analysing of (a) in combination with (b).   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  or  claim 13 , further comprising a motorized bed, wherein the weight sensor is a component of the motorized bed. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense a physiological parameter of a subject and to sense tremor of the subject;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:
 monitor a condition other than tremor of the subject by analysing the physiological parameter and the sensed tremor, and 
 drive the output unit to generate an alert upon detecting a deterioration of the monitored condition based on the analyzing of the physiological parameter and tremor. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to monitor hypoglycemia by the analyzing of the physiological parameter and the sensed tremor. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured to calculate a respiratory rate of the subject, based on the motion signal, utilising a clustering algorithm.   
     
     
         18 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured to calculate respiratory-related motion of the subject based on the motion signal, correlate the respiratory-related motion with the motion signal, and identify a potential apnea event of the subject in response to the correlation.   
     
     
         19 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense motion of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing, and to generate a motion signal in response thereof; and   a control unit configured to calculate respiratory-related motion of the subject based or the motion signal, identify a thoracoabdominal asynchrony event based on the respiratory-relation motion, and identify a potential apnea event of the subject in response to the identification of the thoracoabdominal asynchrony event.   
     
     
         20 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor for detecting a posture change of a subject;   a user interface for receiving an indication that a clinician changed the posture of the subject; and   a control unit that identifies when (a) detection of the posture change by the sensor and (b) receipt of the indication by the user interface, both occur within a window of defined duration.   
     
     
         21 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense a respiratory motion signal of a subject;   an output unit; and   a central unit configured to:
 monitor a non-rate respiratory pattern of a subject by analyzing the respiratory motion signal and so identify non-rate non-apnea respiratory patterns that are indicative of deterioration of a condition of the subject, and 
 drive the output unit to generate on alert upon detecting deterioration of the condition. 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the non-rate non apnea respiratory pattern is selected from the group consisting of: gasping, agonal breathing, ataxic breathing, Cheyne Stokes respiration, Biot's respiration, a respiratory pattern associated with slope of inspiration, a respiratory pattern associated with slope of expiration, and wherein the control unit is configured to monitor the selected non-rate non-apnea respiratory pattern. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the control unit is configured to analyze regularity of the respiratory motion signal and to drive the output unit in response to analyzing the regularity of the respiratory motion signal. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the control unit is configured to drive the output unit to generate the alert in response to identifying that a level of regularity of the respiratory motion signal decreases to a level below a threshold level of regularity. 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing; and   a control unit configured to analyze the sensed motion and to identify thoracoabdominal synchrony in response thereto.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a phase angle characterizing the thoracoabdominal synchrony in response to analyzing the sensed motion and to output the identified phase angle to a clinician. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor, configured to sense heart rate of a subject;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the heart rate, and to drive the output unit to generate an alert upon the control unit detecting an initially low level of heart rate variability of the subject followed by a sudden change in heart rate.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the control unit is configured to drive the output unit to generate the alert upon detecting the sudden change in heart rate, even in the absence of a change in any other detected parameter. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense a large body movement of the subject, and wherein the control unit is configured to withhold generation of the alert when the sudden change in heart rate is accompanied by a large body movement of the subject. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein in detecting the sudden change in heart rate, the control unit is configured to identify a sudden drop in heart rate. 
     
     
         31 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:   responsively to the sensed motion, calculate respective raw values of a clinical parameter of the subject,   calculate a representative value based on the raw values, and only upon finding that the representative value is at least a threshold percentage different from a baseline value for the clinical parameter, drive the output unit to generate an alert,   wherein the control unit is configured to automatically adapt the duration of time during which motion Is sensed, based upon which motion sensing a given representative value is calculated, at a function of the calculated raw values.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically adapt the duration of time during which motion is sensed, as a function of an extent to which the calculated raw values deviate from the baseline value or the clinical parameter. 
     
     
         33 . Apparatus comprising:
 a motion sensor configured to sense body motion of a subject and generate a modern signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured so analyze the motion signal and differentiate between body motion that Involves a pasture change and body motion that does not involve a posture change.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein the control unit is configured to derive, a heart rate related motion signal of the subject in response to analysing the motion signal, and to differentiate between body motion that involves a posture change and body motion that does not involve a posture change in response to the derived heart rate related motion signal. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus, according to  claim 20  or  claim 33  or  claim 34 , wherein the control unit is configured to verify compliance with a pressure ulcer prevention protocol by utilizing the differentiation between body motion that involves a posture change and body motion that does not involve a pasture change. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus according to  claim 20  or  claim 33  or  claim 34 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify if a rate of posture changes is less than a threshold rate, the threshold rate being between 0.1 and 1 posture changes per hour. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus according to  claim 20  or  claim 33  or  claim 34 , wherein the apparatus is configured to generate and alert if a rate of pasture changes per unit time is below a threshold. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus according to  claim 20  or  claim 33  or  claim 34 , wherein the control unit is configured to perform the identification utilizing calibration data indicative of a response of the sensor to forces acting on the sensor from different directions. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus according to  claim 20  or  claim 33  or  claim 34 , wherein the control unit is configured to distinguish (a) a posture change from a center of a bed to a side of the bed, from (b) a posture change from the side the bed to the center of the bed. 
     
     
         40 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto;   an output unit; and   a control unit configured to:
 analyze the motion signal, and 
 in response to the analyzing and in response to having identified a likelihood that the subject is sleeping, drive the output unit to alert a clinician if the motion signal is indicative that the subject is no longer sleeping and is at an increased risk for falling out of a bed. 
   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus according to  claim 40 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the likelihood that the Subject is sleeping based on reduced motion of the subject. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus according to  claim 41 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the reduced motion as being indicative of the likelihood that the subject is steeping based on previously measured motion patterns of the subject. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus according to  claim 40 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the likelihood that the subject had been sleeping based on time of day. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus according to  claim 40 , where so the control unit is configured to adapt a threshold for alerting the clinician based on an input detected from the group consisting of: an input indicating that the subject is at high risk of falling out of bed, an input indicative of a characteristic of a medication administered to the subject, and an input indicative of the subject having undergone surgery. 
     
     
         45 . Apparatus comprising:
 a single sensor configured to sense motion of a subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing, and to generate a signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured to analyze the signal to identify motion of the subject, and, in response, to determine whether the subject is in a bed.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein in analyzing the signal, the control unit is configured to analyze a characteristic of the signal selected from the group consisting of: noise in the signal, and a spectrum of the signal. 
     
     
         47 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of whether a subject is in or out of bed;   an output unit; and   a control unit configured to drive the output unit to generate an alert if the subject has been out of bed for at least a defined period of time.   
     
     
         48 . The apparatus according to  claim 47 , wherein the control unit is configured to withhold driving the output unit to generate the alert if the subject has been out of bed for less than one minute. 
     
     
         49 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor assembly, configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto, the sensor assembly comprising a plate and two or more piezo-electric sensors attached one on top of the other and coupled to the plate; and   a control unit configured to calculate one or more clinical parameters in response to the motion signal.   
     
     
         50 . Apparatus comprising:
 a mechanical sensor configured to generate a mechanical sensor signal;   a camera configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a camera signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured to:
 calculate a clinical parameter of the subject utilising at least one signal selected from the group consisting of: the mechanical sensor signal and the camera signal, 
   process information derived from the mechanical sensor signal and the camera signal, and   minimize error of the calculated clinical parameter by utilizing the processed information.   
     
     
         51 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense heart rate of a subject and an additional physiological parameter of the subject;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:
 monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the heart rate and the physiological parameter, and 
 drive the output unit to generate an alert upon detecting high variability of the heart rate that is accompanied by low variability of the additional physiological parameter. 
   
     
     
         52 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense heart rate of a subject and an additional physiological parameter of the subject;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:
 monitor a condition of the subject by analyzing the heart rate and the physiological parameter, and 
 drive the output unit to generate an alert upon detecting (a) high variability of the heart rate associated with low signal quality of the sensed heart rate, that is accompanied by (b) high signal quality of the sensed additional physiological parameter. 
   
     
     
         53 . The apparatus according to  claim 51  or  claim 52 , wherein in driving the output unit to generate the alert, the control unit is configured to drive the output unit to generate an alert of cardiac arrhythmia. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein in driving the output unit to generate the alert, the control unit is configured to drive the output unit to generate an alert of atrial fibrillation. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus according to  claim 51  or  claim 52 , wherein the additional physiological parameter includes a respiratory rate of the subject, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure the respiratory rate. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus according to  claim 51  or  claim 52 , wherein the additional physiological parameter includes a level of motion of the subject, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure the level of motion. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus according to  claim 51  or  claim 52 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the high variability of the heart rate is accompanied by the low variability of the additional physiological parameter by determining that the high and low variabilities, occur within 15 minutes of each other. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus according to  claim 51  or  claim 52 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a single sensor that is configured to sense the heart rate and the additional physiological parameter. 
     
     
         59 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor, configured to sense heart rate of a subject;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:
 receive an indication of a medication being taken by the subject, 
 set a threshold automatically in response to the indication of the medication being taken, and 
 generate an alert upon identifying a change of the heart rate beyond the threshold. 
   
     
     
         60 . The apparatus according to  claim 59 , wherein the control unit is adapted to set the threshold in response to an indication that the medication is a beta-blocker medication. 
     
     
         61 . Apparatus comprising:
 at least one sensor, configured to sense motion of a subject in bed and generate a motion signal in response thereto; and   a control unit configured to analyze noise characteristics of the motion signal and determine in response thereto a physical disposition of the subject.   
     
     
         62 . The apparatus according to  claim 61 , wherein in determining the physical disposition of the subject, the control unit is configured to determine whether the subject is lying down or sitting up in bed. 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus according to  claim 61 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a single sensor for sensing motion of the subject. 
     
     
         64 . Apparatus comprising:
 a sensor, configured to sense bean rate of a subject and generate a signal in response thereto;   an output unit; and   a control unit, configured to:
 drive the output unit to generate a sleep apnea risk alert upon the control unit detecting a periodic pattern of the heart rate signal. 
   
     
     
         65 . The apparatus according to  claim 64 , wherein in analyzing the heart rate, the control unit is configured to correlate the heart rate with respiratory motion of the subject, and determine in response to the correlating whether the subject is at risk of sleep apnea. 
     
     
         66 . Apparatus comprising:
 a single sensor; and   a control unit, configured so receive a signal from the single sensor, calculate an indication of pulse transit time between two sites of a subject, and derive an indication of blood pressure of the subject based on the pulse transit time.   
     
     
         67 . The apparatus according to  claim 66 , wherein the single sensor is configured to be placed in contact with the subject. 
     
     
         68 . The apparatus according to  claim 66 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 derive from the signal from the single sensor (a) a time of a feature of a cardiac cycle of the subject, and (b) a time of arrival of a pressure wave at a non-cardiac site of the subject, and derive the pulse transit tune from (a) and (b).   
     
     
         69 . Apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of sensors, configured to sense motion of a subject and generate motion signals in response thereto; and   a control unit, configured to receive the signals, and, based on the signal from one of the sensors, calculate (a) a time of a feature of a cardiac cycle at the subject, and (b) a time of arrival of a pressure wave at a non-cardiac site of the subject, and derive the pulse transit time from (a) and (b).   
     
     
         70 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  15 ,  17 ,  18 ,  20 ,  21 ,  27 ,  33 ,  40 ,  47 ,  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  59 ,  61 ,  64 , or  66 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject without contacting the subject or clothes the subject is wearing. 
     
     
         71 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 1 ,  3 ,  4 ,  15 ,  17 ,  18 ,  20 ,  21 ,  27 ,  33 ,  40 ,  47 ,  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  59 ,  61 ,  64 , or  66 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing.