Methods and systems for detecting stroke symptoms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017195637-A1
Application number	US-201615395762-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2016
Priority date	Dec 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A stroke detection system analyzes images of a person's face over time to detect asymmetric changes in the position of certain reference points that are consistent with sagging or drooping that may be symptomatic of a stroke or TIA. On detecting possible symptoms of a stroke or TIA, the system may alert caregivers or others, and log the event in a database. Identifying stroke symptoms automatically may enable more rapid intervention, and identifying TIA symptoms may enable diagnostic and preventative care to reduce the risk of a future stroke.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for detecting stroke symptoms, the method comprising:
receiving from a 3D motion sensor a series of two or more images of a face of a person; superimposing an x-y plane over a plurality of reference points related to anatomical features of the person; comparing, over time, positions of the plurality of reference points relative to the x-y plane; and assessing a maintenance of symmetry of the plurality of reference points.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the symmetry is assessed about an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising identifying a minimum asymmetric change in the positions of the plurality of reference points, and evaluating whether the minimum asymmetric change is maintained for a minimum period of time.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising alerting a designated recipient of the asymmetric change.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising superimposing a z-axis over the plurality of reference points, and using the z-axis at least in part to assess the maintenance of symmetry of the plurality of reference points over time.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the series of images to a central monitoring station.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein series of images for a plurality of people being monitored are displayed on a primary display at the central monitoring station.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein, if an asymmetric change in the position of the plurality of reference points relative to the x-y plane is identified, the central monitoring station is alerted.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein on receiving an alert, images of the person for whom the asymmetric change was identified are displayed on a central monitoring station alert display.

10 . A system for detecting stroke symptoms, the system comprising:
one or more 3D motion sensors located to provide the one or more 3D motion sensors with a view of a face of a person to be monitored, the 3D motion sensors configured to collect a series of images of the face of the person; a computerized monitoring system communicatively coupled to the one or more 3D motion sensors, the computerized monitoring system configured to identify a plurality of reference points on the face of the person, to superimpose an x-y-z axis system over the plurality of reference points of the face of the person, and to monitor positions of the plurality of the reference points of the face of the person on the x-y-z axis system; and a computerized communication system communicatively coupled to the computerized monitoring system, the computerized communication system configured to send an alert to one or more designated recipients if a minimum asymmetric change in the position of the reference points relative to the x-y-z axis system is identified.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the computerized communication system is configured to send an alert if the minimum asymmetric change is maintained for a minimum period of time.

12 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a central monitoring station communicatively coupled to the computerized communication system, the central monitoring station configured to display at least a portion of the series of images of the person.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the central monitoring station comprises a primary display and an alert display.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the alert display is a dedicated portion of the primary display.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein if the computerized monitoring system detects an asymmetric change in the positions of the plurality of the reference points of the face of the person on the x-y-z axis system, the computerized communication system sends an alert to the central monitoring station, and the central monitoring station moves a display of at least a portion of the series of images of the person from the primary display to the alert display.

16 . Computer-readable storage media having embodied thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the processors to:
receive from a 3D motion sensor a series of two or more images of the face of a person; superimpose an x-y plane over a plurality of reference points related to anatomical features of the person; compare, over time, the position of the plurality of reference points relative to the x-y plane; and assess a maintenance of symmetry of the plurality of reference points.

17 . The computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to identify an asymmetric change in the positions of the plurality of reference points.

18 . The computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to alert a designated recipient of the asymmetric change.

19 . The computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to display series of images for a plurality of people being monitored on a primary display at a central monitoring station.

20 . The computer-readable storage media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to alert the central monitoring station if the asymmetric change in the positions of the plurality of reference points is identified and, upon receiving an alert, cause the central monitoring station to duplicate the display of the series of images associated with the alert on a central monitoring station alert display.

Assignees

• Cerner Innovation Inc

Inventors

• Kusens Michael
• Kusens Neil

Classifications

• G16H40/20

  for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• A61B5/4064

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title

• G06T7/292

  Multi-camera tracking · CPC title