System and method for diagnosing sleep apnea

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9357953-B2
Application number	US-201213421627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2012
Priority date	Mar 27, 2008
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments may provide methods and systems capable of evaluating physiological parameter data. The methods and systems may include monitoring a patient to produce a signal comprising a sequence of numerical values for blood oxygen saturation over a time period. The signal may be analyzed to identify two or more desaturation patterns within the time period, and at least two numerical differences are calculated between the desaturation patterns. A saturation pattern detection index may be calculated using the numerical differences between the desaturation patterns. The saturation pattern detection index may be used to provide an indication of a physiological condition. Other embodiments may provide a medical device that may be used to evaluate physical parameter data according to the techniques described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of evaluating a physiological parameter, comprising:
monitoring a patient with a monitor to produce physiological parameter data comprising a sequence indicative of blood oxygen saturation over a time period;
analyzing the physiological parameter data with a processor to identify at least a first desaturation pattern and a second desaturation pattern within the time period;
determining a first maximum value of the first desaturation pattern and a second maximum value of the second desaturation pattern with the processor;
calculating a peak slope between the first and second maximum values with the processor;
calculating a saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon the peak slope with the processor; and
providing an indication of sleep apnea based at least in part upon the saturation pattern detection index.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising calculating the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a nadir slope between minimum values of the physiological parameter data during each of the first and second desaturation patterns.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising using the processor to incrementally scale the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a count of the desaturation patterns present within the time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising using the processor to incrementally scale the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a duration of time during which desaturation patterns are present.

5. A medical system, comprising:
a microprocessor configured to process physiological parameter data representative of blood oxygen saturation; and
a memory storing computer-readable instructions, that when executed direct the microprocessor to:
analyze the physiological parameter data to identify at least a first desaturation pattern and a second desaturation pattern within the time period;
determine a first maximum value of the first desaturation pattern and a second maximum value of the second desaturation pattern;
calculate a peak slope between the first and second maximum values;
calculate a saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon the peak slope; and
provide an indication of sleep apnea based at least in part upon the saturation pattern detection index.

6. The medical system of claim 5 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, if executed by the microprocessor, cause the microprocessor to calculate the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a nadir slope between minimum values of the physiological parameter data during each of the first and second desaturation patterns.

7. The medical system of claim 5 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the microprocessor, are configured to cause the microprocessor to calculate a magnitude comprising the difference between a maximum value of the physiological parameter data during a last desaturation pattern within the time period and a minimum value of the physiological parameter data of the last desaturation pattern within the time period.

8. The medical system of claim 5 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the microprocessor, are configured to cause the microprocessor to scale the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a count of the desaturation patterns present within the time period.

9. The medical system of claim 5 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, if executed by the microprocessor, are configured to cause the microprocessor to scale the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a duration of time over which desaturation patterns are occurring.

10. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer readable code that when executed by a computer is configured to:
obtain physiological parameter data from a measurement device monitoring a patient, wherein the physiological parameter data comprises an indication of blood oxygen saturation over a time period;
analyze the physiological parameter data to identify at least a first desaturation pattern and a second desaturation pattern within the time period;
determine a first maximum value of the first desaturation pattern and a second maximum value of the second desaturation pattern;
calculate a peak slope between the first and second maximum values;
calculate a saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon the peak slope; and
provide an indication of sleep apnea based at least in part upon the saturation pattern detection index.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising computer readable code that when executed is configured to calculate the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a nadir slope between minimum values of the physiological parameter data during each of the first and second desaturation patterns.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising computer readable code that when executed is configured to calculate a magnitude comprising the difference between a maximum value of the oxygen saturation of a last desaturation pattern within the time period and a minimum value of the oxygen saturation of the last desaturation pattern within the time period.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising computer readable code that when executed is configured to incrementally scale the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a count of the desaturation patterns present within the time period.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising computer readable code that when executed is configured to increase the saturation pattern detection index based at least in part upon a duration of time over which desaturation patterns are present.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising computer readable code that when executed is configured to control a treatment device based at least in part upon the saturation pattern detection index.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , comprising computer readable code that when executed is configured to control an audio recording device based at least in part upon the saturation pattern detection index.

Assignees

• Ochs James
• Amundson Scott
• Batchelder Keith
• Mannheimer Paul
• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Ochs James
• Amundson Scott
• Batchelder Keith
• Mannheimer Paul

Classifications

• A61B5/4818

  Sleep apnoea · CPC title

• A61B5/14551 Primary

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title