Patents by Inventor James N. Watson

James N. Watson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8478538
    Abstract: According to embodiments, techniques for extracting a signal parameter from a selected region of a generally repetitive signal are disclosed. A pulse oximetry system including a sensor or probe may be used to obtain an original photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal from a subject. A filter transformation may be applied to the original PPG signal to produce a baseline PPG signal. The baseline PPG signal may contain artifacts and/or noise, and a region of the baseline PPG signal suitable for extracting the signal parameter may be selected. A suitable region of the baseline PPG signal may be selected by applying one or more thresholds to the baseline PPG signal, where the values of the thresholds may be set based on derivative values, amplitude-based percentiles, and/or local minima and maxima of the baseline PPG signal. A portion of the original PPG signal corresponding to the selected region may be processed, and the signal parameter may be extracted from the processed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Scott McGonigle, Paul S. Addison, James N. Watson
  • Patent number: 8463347
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for analyzing and normalizing signals, such as PPG signals, for use in patent monitoring. The PPG signal may be detected using a continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system and the normalized signals may be used to determine whether a recalibration of the system should be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Rakesh Sethi, Robert Stoughton, Paul Stanley Addison
  • Patent number: 8444570
    Abstract: According to embodiments, a respiration signal may be processed to normalize respiratory feature values in order to improve and/or simplify the interpretation and subsequent analysis of the signal. Data indicative of a signal may be received at a sensor and may be used to generate a respiration signal. Signal peaks in the respiration signal may be identified and signal peak thresholds may be determined. The identified signal peaks may be adjusted based on the signal peak threshold values to normalize the respiration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Scott McGonigle, Paul S. Addison, James N. Watson
  • Patent number: 8417308
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring pain management using measurements of physiological parameters based on a PPG signal. A reference physiological parameter may be compared against a later measurement to identify a change in condition that may indicate a pain management problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Rakesh Sethi, Paul Stanley Addison, James N. Watson, Paul A. Edney
  • Patent number: 8412295
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring pain management using measurements of physiological parameters based on a PPG signal. A reference physiological parameter may be compared against a later measurement to identify a change in condition that may indicate a pain management problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Rakesh Sethi, Paul Stanley Addison, James N. Watson, Paul A. Edney
  • Publication number: 20130079647
    Abstract: A patient monitoring system may determine one or more reference points of a physiological signal. The system may select one or more fiducial points on the physiological signal relative to the reference points. The one or more fiducial points may be selected by selecting a point spaced by a time interval relative to one of the reference points. The time interval may be a predetermined constant, or the time interval may depend on physiological information. The system may generate a fiducial signal based on the selected fiducial points, calculate physiological information such as a respiration rate based on the selected fiducial points, or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Scott McGonigle, James N. Watson
  • Patent number: 8400149
    Abstract: A method and system for automatically gating an imaging device is disclosed. Physiological process information of a patient may be derived from a plethysmographic signal, for example, by analyzing the plethysmographic signal transformed by a continuous wavelet transform. Other techniques for deriving physiological process information of a patient include, for example, analyzing a scalogram derived from the continuous wavelet transform. The physiological process information may be used to automatically gate imaging data acquired from an imaging device in order to synchronize the imaging data with the physiological process information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Robert Stoughton, Paul S. Addison, James N. Watson
  • Patent number: 8290730
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for deriving and analyzing shape metrics, including skewness metrics, from physiological signals and their derivatives to determine measurement quality, patient status and operating conditions of a physiological measurement device. Such determinations may be used for any number of functions, including indicating to a patient or care provider that the measurement quality is low or unacceptable, alerting a patient or care provider to a change in patient status, triggering or delaying a recalibration of a monitoring device, and adjusting the operating parameters of a monitoring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Clark R. Baker, Jr., Paul Stanley Addison
  • Publication number: 20120253141
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for passive photoplethysmograph sensing. A patient monitoring system may provide active sensing, passive sensing, or both. In some cases, a patient monitor may determine whether to provide passive or active sensing. Passive photoplethysmograph sensing may be used to determine physiological information such as pulse rate, respiration rate, or other information. Passive photoplethysmograph sensing may allow for reduced power consumption relative to active sensing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Paul Stanley Addison, Keith Manning, James N. Watson
  • Publication number: 20120253140
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for determining physiological information about a patient's autonomic nervous system based on at least one physiological signal measured from the patient and at least one known characteristic of a patient's respiration. Respiration protocol may be provided to guide characteristics of the patient's respiration. The physiological signal measured from the patient may be transformed using a wavelet transform to create a transformed signal, and a scalogram may be generated based at least in part on the transformed signal. A metric that may indicate information about the patient's autonomic nervous system may be determined from the scalogram and the known characteristic of the patient's respiration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Paul S. Addison, James N. Watson
  • Publication number: 20120203087
    Abstract: During patient monitoring, a depth of consciousness (DOC) measure, such as a bispectral index, may be used in conjunction with additional information obtained from an awareness metric derived from one or more physiological signals, such as a photoplethysmograph signal. In an embodiment, a DOC measure may be combined with information from an awareness metric to produce a combined DOC measure. In an embodiment, information from an awareness metric derived from one or more physiological signals may be used to provide an indication of confidence in a DOC measure. In an embodiment, a DOC measure may be used to provide an indication of confidence in a depth of consciousness assessment based on an awareness metric. In an embodiment, one or the other of a DOC measure and an awareness metric may be used to provide an indication of a patient's depth of consciousness (e.g., by one “overriding” the other).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventors: Edward M. McKenna, Bo Chen, Youzhi Li, Paul Stanley Addison, James N. Watson
  • Publication number: 20120143012
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for storing event markers. The value of a monitored physiological metric may be monitored and compared to a reference value. A patient monitoring system may compute a difference between a monitored metric and a reference value, and compare the difference to a threshold value to determine whether a physiological event has occurred. Based on the determination, a patient monitoring system may store an event marker, trigger a response, update a metric value, or perform any other suitable function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Paul Stanley Addison, Rakesh Sethi, Keith Manning
  • Publication number: 20120143067
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining when to update a blood pressure measurement. The value of a physiological metric may be monitored and compared to a reference value. A patient monitoring system may compute a difference between a monitored metric and a reference value, and compare the difference to a threshold value to determine whether to update a blood pressure measurement. The threshold value may be constant or variable, and may depend on the monitored metric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Paul Stanley Addison, Rakesh Sethi, Keith Manning
  • Publication number: 20120136261
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for calibrating the calculation of physiological parameters. Two or more calibration techniques may be used to determine a relationship between physiological measurements and a desired physiological parameter, such as a relationship between differential pulse transit time (DPTT) and blood pressure. Different calibration techniques may be used in a serial fashion, one after the other, or in a parallel fashion, with different weights accorded to each calibration technique. When physiological or other changes occur, the calibration data may be stored for later use and new calibration data may be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventors: Rakesh Sethi, Robert Stoughton, James N. Watson, Paul Stanley Addison, Shannon E. Campbell, Daniel Lisogurski, Edward M. McKenna
  • Publication number: 20120136605
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for storing and recalling metrics associated with physiological signals. It may be determined that the value of a monitored physiological metric corresponds to a stored value. In such cases, a patient monitor may determine that a calibration is not desired. In some cases, a patient monitor may recall calibration parameters associated with the stored value if it determined that the stored value corresponds to the monitored metric value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Paul Stanley Addison, James N. Watson
  • Publication number: 20120116235
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for producing audible indicators that are based on a subject's measured blood pressure. Audible properties of the indicators are processed to represent blood pressure. For example, the duration or volume of the audible indicators may be varied based on the values of the subject's blood pressure. The audible indicators may further be varied based on the subject's blood pressure's deviation from a normal blood pressure and/or previously calculated blood pressure. For example, the audible indicators may be indicative of changes in the subject's blood pressure over time. The audible indicators representing blood pressure may be synchronized with other audible indicators that represent other physiological parameters of the subject, such as, the subject's heart rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventors: David Trumble, Peter Galen, Paul Stanley Addison, James N. Watson
  • Publication number: 20120029361
    Abstract: Systems and methods for calculating a measure of respiratory effort of a subject are provided. The measure of respiratory effort may be calculated based on a differential pulse transit time (DPTT) calculated for received photoplethysmograph signals. The systems and methods may allow for the calculation of respiratory effort in absolute units, and without the need for calibrations from a device that measures blood pressure (e.g., a non-invasive blood pressure cuff).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: Paul Stanley Addison, James N. Watson
  • Publication number: 20120029320
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for patient monitors which apply different sets of signal processing operations to signals to identify multiple fiducials in physiological signals. PPG signals measured at two sensor sites may be processed with a first set of processing operations and analyzed to identify fiducials that allow the calculation of a diastolic DPTT. These PPG signals may then be processed with a different set of processing operations and the results analyzed to identify fiducials that allow the calculation of a systolic DPTT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Robert S. Stoughton, Paul Stanley Addison
  • Publication number: 20110306858
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for transforming a signal using a continuous wavelet transform based at least in part on a truncated, mean-adjusted wavelet. A wavelet may be truncated to a finite support to generate a truncated wavelet. The real part of the truncated wavelet may be forced to have a zero mean to generate a truncated, mean-adjusted wavelet. The signal may be transformed using a continuous wavelet transform based at least in part on the truncated mean-adjusted wavelet. Information may be derived about the signal from the transformed signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Dominique Jacquel, Paul Stanley Addison
  • Publication number: 20110270579
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating Lissajous figures based on monitored signals and identifying features of Lissajous figures. Features may include similarity metrics, shape change metrics and noise metrics, and may be used to determine information about the monitored signal. Features may also be used in monitoring operations, such as measurement quality assessment and recalibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
    Inventors: James N. Watson, Paul Stanley Addison