Patents Examined by Eric Messersmith
  • Patent number: 9724020
    Abstract: Circuits for rendering piezo-based respiratory belts compatible with polysomnograph (PSG) machines designed for use with respiratory induction belts (RIPs) comprise an instrumentation amplifier adapted to be connected to a piezoelectric transducer and providing an AC output signal to a low-pass filter. In a first embodiment, the low-pass filter output is applied to an input of a microcontroller's A to D converter and the resulting digitized samples are used to vary the resistance of a digital potentiometer whose wiper terminal is coupled in series with an inductor so as to emulate the presence of a RIP belt to the PSG machine. In a second embodiment, the low-pass filter output is used to drive the primary of a transformer so as to vary the permeability of the transformer's ferrite core in a way that emulates the performance of a RIP belt to the PSG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Dymedix Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce R. Bowman, Allen J. Pickard, Peter Stasz
  • Patent number: 9717464
    Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for continuous transdermal monitoring (“CTM”) are disclosed. One exemplary method for CTM begins by monitoring an output signal from an accelerometer. The accelerometer output signal may indicate acceleration and deceleration of a body part of a user, such as the user's wrist. Based on the accelerometer output signal, it may be determined that the body part of the user has decelerated to a minimum, e.g., substantially zero. With a determination that the body part has decelerated to the minimum, e.g., substantially zero, or has not accelerated beyond the minimum, e.g., substantially zero, the method may determine a reading from a pulse oximeter associated with the accelerometer. Advantageously, the pulse oximetry reading, or a reading from other sensors associated with the accelerometer, may be optimally accurate as motion artifact may be minimized. The pulse oximetry reading may be recorded for later query and/or rendered for the benefit of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Inventors: James Tyler Frix, Andrew Johnson, James Mitchell Frix, Robert Andrew Taylor
  • Patent number: 9717449
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing sensor data are provided. In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided for calibration of a continuous analyte sensor. In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided for classification of a level of noise on a sensor signal. In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided for determining a rate of change for analyte concentration based on a continuous sensor signal. In some embodiments, systems and methods for alerting or alarming a patient based on prediction of glucose concentration are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: DexCom, Inc.
    Inventors: Apurv Ullas Kamath, John Michael Dobbles, Aarthi Mahalingam
  • Patent number: 9706945
    Abstract: A system for monitoring respiration, and a method for determining respiration rate, is disclosed. In one embodiment, the respiration rate is determined from a power spectral density template that is updated, or not, based on whether a power spectral density for a current window of in-band filtered impedance respiration signal is determined to be noisy or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Sahika Genc
  • Patent number: 9693727
    Abstract: A method and system for determining anaerobic threshold intensity (AnT) of a user in a freely performed physical exercise. A physiological response of a user is measured by heart rate and measured heart rate values are recorded as heart rate data. An external workload values are recorded and are each associated with one measured heart rate values to form a plurality of data points. The data points are filtered to form accepted data points, which are classified within a plurality of heart rate segments representing a heart rate within an anaerobic threshold (AnT) of the user. A data point with highest probability is stored for each segment. A first probability factor for each accepted data point is calculated. The calculated first probability factor is compared to a stored probability factor in each segment, and the higher probability factor is retained. AnT is calculated using the stored probabilities in each segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Firstbeat Technologies OY
    Inventors: Sami Saalasti, Kaisa Hämäläinen, Tero Myllymäki
  • Patent number: 9687656
    Abstract: Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for monitoring a patient's arterial blood pressure while a patient's heart is being paced. A signal (e.g., PPG or IPG signal) indicative of changes in arterial blood volume remote from the patient's heart is obtained using a sensor or electrodes that are implanted remote from the patient's heart. One or more metrics indicative of pulse arrival time (PAT) are determined, where each metric can be determined by determining a time from a paced cardiac event to one or more predetermined features of the signal indicative of changes in arterial blood volume. Based on at the metric(s) indicative of PAT, arterial blood pressure is estimated, which can include determining values indicative of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and/or mean arterial blood pressure, and/or changes in such values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Jeffrey Wenzel, Timothy A. Fayram, Allen J. Keel, Edward Karst, Wenbo Hou, Taraneh Ghaffari Farazi
  • Patent number: 9675301
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a cardiovascular score for a patient. A method includes receiving, using at least one computer system, patient-specific data regarding a geometry of multiple coronary arteries of the patient; and creating, using at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model representing at least portions of the multiple coronary arteries based on the patient-specific data. The method also includes evaluating, using at least one computer system, multiple characteristics of at least some of the coronary arteries represented by the model; and generating, using at least one computer system, the cardiovascular score based on the evaluation of the multiple characteristics. Another method includes generating the cardiovascular score based on evaluated multiple characteristics for portions of the coronary arteries having fractional flow reserve values of at least a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Fonte, Jonathan Tang, Gilwoo Choi
  • Patent number: 9662072
    Abstract: An exercise information detecting apparatus of the present invention includes a heartbeat sensor which detects heartbeat data of a human body including a waveform signal, an exercise status detecting section which detects exercise data regarding an exercise status of the human body, an exercise status judging section which judges a change of the exercise status of the human body based on the exercise data detected by the exercise status detecting section, and a heart rate calculating section which removes, as a noise component, an invalid peak from among a plurality of peaks included in the waveform signal of the heartbeat data based on the change of the exercise status of the human body judged by the exercise status judging section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 9662055
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to analyte determining methods and devices (e.g., electrochemical analyte monitoring systems) that have a membrane structure with an analyte permeability that is substantially temperature independent. The devices also include a sensing layer disposed on a working electrode of in vivo analyte sensors, e.g., continuous and/or automatic in vivo monitoring using analyte sensors and/or test strips. Also provided are systems and methods of using the, for example electrochemical, analyte sensors in analyte monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
    Inventors: Udo Hoss, Benjamin J. Feldman, Tianmei Ouyang
  • Patent number: 9662054
    Abstract: An eye-mountable device includes an electrochemical sensor embedded in a polymeric material configured for mounting to a surface of an eye. The electrochemical sensor includes a working electrode, a reference electrode, and a reagent that selectively reacts with an analyte to generate a sensor measurement related to a concentration of the analyte in a fluid to which the eye-mountable device is exposed. The working electrode can have a first side edge and a second side edge. The reference electrode can be situated such that at least a portion of the first and second side edges of the working electrode are adjacent respective sections of the reference electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventors: James Etzkorn, Zenghe Liu
  • Patent number: 9649071
    Abstract: According to embodiments, systems and methods for high-pass filtering a plethysmograph or photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal are disclosed. A sensor or probe may be used to obtain a plethysmograph or PPG signal from a subject. The sensor may be placed at any suitable location on the body, e.g., the forehead, finger, or toe. The PPG signal generated by the sensor may be high-pass filtered to disambiguate certain features of the PPG signal, including one or more characteristic points. The cut-off frequency for the high-pass filter may be greater than 0.75 Hz and less than 15 Hz. The cut-off frequency for the high-pass filter may be selected to be greater than the subject's computed pulse rate. These characteristic points on the filtered PPG signal may be used to compute non-invasive blood pressure measurements continuously or on a periodic basis. For example, the time difference between two or more characteristic points in a high-pass filtered version of the generated PPG signal may be computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Paul Stanley Addison
  • Patent number: 9636061
    Abstract: Systems and methods of analyzing biological fluid biomarkers, calculating biomarker data, transmitting data to a transceiver device, and storing the data and/or analytics in a database and/or on at least one remote computer server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: CoreSyte, Inc.
    Inventors: Sten Adam Nyberg, Dalton Pont
  • Patent number: 9622710
    Abstract: The invention provides a monitor for measuring blood pressure and other vital signs from a patient without using a cuff. The invention provides a hand-held device for measuring vital signs (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SOTERA WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew John Banet, Michael James Thompson, Zhou Zhou, Henk Visser, II, Robert Kenneth Hunt
  • Patent number: 9597006
    Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring subjects, analyzing EEG data, and maintaining subjects at desired sedation states using automatic processing systems to determine a mean burst suppression interval for a specified time length and using that interval to inform monitoring or administration of sedation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Wavestate, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Bier, David A. Kaiser
  • Patent number: 9585608
    Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring analyte in a host, including a continuous analyte sensor that produces a data stream indicative of a host's analyte concentration and a device that receives and records data from the data stream from the continuous analyte sensor. In one embodiment, the device includes a single point analyte monitor, from which it obtains an analyte value, and is configured to display only single point analyte measurement values, and not any analyte measurement values associated with data received from the continuous analyte sensor. Instead, data received from the continuous analyte sensor is used to provide alarms to the user when the analyte concentration and/or the rate of change of analyte concentration, as measured by the continuous analyte sensor, is above or below a predetermined range. Data received from the continuous analyte sensor may also be used to prompt the diabetic or caregiver to take certain actions, such as to perform another single point blood glucose measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: DexCom, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge Valdes, David Price, Leif N. Bowman, Kristin Cote
  • Patent number: 9585623
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a cardiovascular score for a patient. A method includes receiving, using at least one computer system, patient-specific data regarding a geometry of multiple coronary arteries of the patient; and creating, using at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model representing at least portions of the multiple coronary arteries based on the patient-specific data. The method also includes evaluating, using at least one computer system, multiple characteristics of at least some of the coronary arteries represented by the model; and generating, using at least one computer system, the cardiovascular score based on the evaluation of the multiple characteristics. Another method includes generating the cardiovascular score based on evaluated multiple characteristics for portions of the coronary arteries having fractional flow reserve values of at least a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Fonte, Gilwoo Choi, Jonathan Tang
  • Patent number: 9579024
    Abstract: Systems and methods of analyzing biological fluid biomarkers, calculating biomarker data, transmitting data to a transceiver device, and storing the data and/or analytics in a database and/or on at least one remote computer server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: CoreSyte, Inc.
    Inventors: Sten Adam Nyberg, Dalton Pont
  • Patent number: 9572518
    Abstract: Based on a capnometry signal, one or more breathing parameters of a subject are determined that require valid breaths by the subject to be distinguished from anatomical events that cause the CO2 content of gas at or near the airway of the subject to fluctuate. To improve the accuracy of one or more of these determinations, gas at or near the airway of the subject is diluted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Joseph Allen Orr
  • Patent number: 9572538
    Abstract: A method of prioritizing arrhythmia alarms based on one patient's perfusion level includes receiving arterial blood pressure, electrocardiogram heart rate, and arterial pulse rate values of the one patient during a same time window. Analyzing the set of blood pressure values to determine if an arrhythmia event is indicated, where if an arrhythmia event is indicated, the method includes calculating a systolic blood pressure (SBP) ratio, comparing the SBP ratio to a first predetermined threshold, and if the SBP ratio is less than or equal to the first predetermined threshold, then activating a non-perfusion alarm. If the SBP ratio is greater than the first predetermined threshold, then calculating a standard deviation of a rate differential between the heart rate and the pulse rate values, and if the standard deviation is greater than a second predetermined threshold, then activating the non-perfusion alarm. A system and non-transitory computer media is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Alan Sitzman, Bruce Arnold Friedman, Sahika Genc, Kalpit Vikrambhai Desai, Michael Anthony Lexa, Brett Matthews
  • Patent number: 9572522
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fluid conductivity sensor that can be used to obtain in-vivo measurements of conductivity of biological fluid samples, for example, to determine osmolarity. The conductivity sensor can be disposed on a substrate that is at least partially embedded within a polymeric material of a body-mountable device. The conductivity sensor can include a frame having a trench formed therein that defines a fluid sample cell. First and second electrodes can be formed on sidewalls of the trench, such that the first and second electrodes are on opposite sides of the fluid sample cell. A controller in the body-mountable device can operate the sensor by applying a voltage to the electrodes and measuring a current through a fluid occupying the fluid sample cell. The body-mountable device may indicate the current measurements wirelessly using an antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventors: Zenghe Liu, Huanfen Yao