Apparatus and method for detecting health deterioration

• Main Authors: MERCEDES FRANCO GAY, RIGOBERTO PEREZ DE ALEJO FORTUN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.05.2015
• Subjects: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; SURGERY

An apparatus for detecting deteriorating health of a patient receiving gas from a respiratory device comprises a sensor unit 11 configured to monitor flow rate or pressure of a gas flowing in a pipe connecting the respiratory device to the patient. A processor 122 is configured to measure a respiratory rate of the patient based on variations in the flow rate or pressure of gas in the pipe, implement a trend analysis of the measured respiratory rate and generate a warning when it determines that there is an upward trend in the measured respiratory rate and that a magnitude of the trend exceeds a threshold. The trend analysis carried out by the processor may involve calculating a C-statistic for the measured respiratory rate. The measured respiratory rate may be compared with a characteristic respiratory rate. In an embodiment a differential pressure sensor (1111, figure 2) having first and second pneumatic input ports (1112, 1113 figure 2) may be used. One of the pneumatic input ports may be configured to receive a flow of gas from a point in pipe and delay the flow of gas that flows from the pipe to the differential pressure sensor.