Apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11298450-B2
Application number	US-201515316604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2015
Priority date	Jun 6, 2014
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow through a shunt of a patient has at least one bandage which can be worn by the patient, as well as a plurality of sensors which are arranged in or at the bandage, which are arranged in at least one multidimensional matrix, and which are configured such that they create a multidimensional matrix of measured values of at least one parameter detected by the sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for non-invasive measurement of blood flow through a shunt of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
a bandage configured to be worn by the patient;
a plurality of skin stretching sensors arranged at the bandage, the skin stretching sensors being arranged in a multidimensional matrix, and being configured to measure values resulting from a multidimensional pattern of skin stretching that is associated with oscillating variations in blood pressure and ultimately the blood flow through the shunt;
an evaluation unit configured to process the measured values including generating a spatio-temporal pattern of the spatial stretching of a surface of the skin which reproduces the measured values of the skin stretching sensors simultaneously, and comparing the measured stretching values with reference values so as to generate a pattern providing a comparison of the measured stretching values relative to the reference values, the generated pattern including white and black boxes, with each white box corresponding to a pressure value which lies below a reference value and each black box corresponding to a pressure value which lies above a reference value;
a transmission unit configured to be in communication with the evaluation unit and to transmit the generated pattern therefrom; and
a receiver configured to receive the generated pattern transmitted by the transmission unit so as to facilitate treatment of the patient based on the non-invasive measurement.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the matrix is a two-dimensional matrix and the pattern is a two-dimensional pattern.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising sensors for detecting a heart activity of the patient.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the measured values are absolute values.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a memory to store the measured values.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , Therein the memory is arranged at the bandage.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit is configured for wireless transmission.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit is arranged at the bandage.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a Peltier element as an energy source.

10. A method of non-invasive measurement of blood flow through a shunt of a patient, said method comprising:
providing an apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow through the shunt, the apparatus including
a bandage configured to be worn by the patient and having a plurality of skin stretching sensors arranged at the bandage, the skin stretching sensors being arranged in a multidimensional matrix, and being configured to measure values resulting from a multidimensional pattern of skin stretching that is associated with oscillating variations in blood pressure and ultimately the blood flow through the shunt,
An evaluation unit,
a transmission unit in communication with the evaluation unit, and
a receiver,

applying the bandage to the patient;
with the evaluation unit, processing the measured values, including generating a spatio-temporal pattern of the spatial stretching of a surface of the skin which reproduces the measured values of the skin stretching sensors simultaneously, and comparing the measured stretching values with reference values so as to generate a pattern providing a comparison of the measured stretching values relative to the reference values, the generated pattern including white and black boxes, with each white box corresponding to a pressure value which lies below a reference value and each black box corresponding to a pressure value which lies above a reference value;
with the transmission unit, transmitting the generated pattern therefrom; and
with the receiver, receiving the generated pattern transmitted by the transmission unit so as to facilitate treatment of the patient based on the non-invasive measurement.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the transmitting is wireless.

Assignees

• Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Kopperschmidt Pascal
• Mueller Carsten

Classifications

• A61B2562/046

  in a matrix array · CPC title

• A61B5/0261

  using optical means, e.g. infrared light · CPC title

• A61M2205/3368

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61B5/14552

  Details of sensors specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• A61M2205/3306

  Optical measuring means · CPC title