The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for edema testing, and more particularly, to systems and methods for analyzing characteristics of skin bounce-back in a subject to provide an edema result.
Edema shows observable swelling from fluid accumulation in body tissues of a person. Most commonly, edema occurs in feet, ankles, legs, and/or hands. The swelling is the result of the accumulation of excess fluid under the skin in the spaces within the tissues. According to one example, a pitting edema is demonstrated by applying pressure to a swollen area by depressing the skin with a finger. In fact, any form of pressure, such as from the elastic in socks, can induce pitting with this type of edema. Thus, symptoms of the pitting edema include swelling, which causes the skin surrounding it to tighten. The skin over the swollen area typically appears shiny and light, and, often, when a finger is placed on the swollen area an indentation is left on the skin.
Pitting edema is often diagnosed with a physical exam. For example, a doctor may apply pressure to the swollen skin for about 15 seconds to check for an indentation. After pressing the affected body part with a finger, the edema is classified based on the depth and duration of the indentation. The test provides, for example, a grade that ranges from Grade 1 to Grade 4. Grade 1 is associated with a pressure that typically leaves an indentation of 0-2 millimeters (“mm”) and rebounds generally immediately. This is the least severe type of pitting edema. Grade 2 is associated with a pressure that typically leaves an indentation of 3-4 mm and rebounds in fewer than 15 seconds. Grade 3 is associated with a pressure that typically leaves an indentation of 5-6 mm and takes up to 30 seconds to rebound. Grade 4 is associated with a pressure that typically leaves an indentation of 8 mm or deeper and takes more than 20 seconds to rebound.
Understanding the severity of edema is helpful in identifying the underlying cause and the best course of treatment. However, present testing methods are plagued by many problems. For example, some present testing methods are non-user friendly, relying mostly on those with vast medical experience (e.g., doctors) to accurately administer the test. Consequently, typical patients cannot properly and accurately administer self-tests, as they lack the proper knowledge of where to apply the pressure, how long to apply the pressure, and how deep to apply the pressure. In another example, some present testing methods lack consistency. Testing the wrong body part may result in inaccurate test results, leading the patient into the wrong treatment or, worse, into no treatment at all.
The present disclosure is directed to solving these and other problems, including problems associated with present edema testing.
According to some implementations of the present disclosure, a system includes an electronic interface that is configured to receive user input and to provide user instructions. The user input includes a user request for an edema test, and the user instructions include procedural steps for the edema test. The system further includes one or more sensors for detecting a change in skin characteristics of a subject, and a memory storing machine-readable instructions. The system further includes a control system having one or more processors configured to execute the machine-readable instructions. The instructions include the activation of the edema test automatically or in response to receiving the user request via the electronic interface. Upon activation, providing the user instructions for locating, via at least one of the one or more sensors, a skin area in the subject for testing. The instructions further include instructing a user to depress the skin area for causing a temporary indentation, and capturing, via at least one of the one or more sensors, one or more images of the temporary indentation over a period of time following the depression of the skin area by the user. The instructions also include analyzing the one or more images for characteristics of skin bounce-back, the skin bounce-back representing rebounding of the skin area after the temporary indentation. The instructions also include determining an edema result based on the characteristics of the skin bounce-back.
According to some other implementations of the present disclosure, a method includes activating an edema test via an electronic device, in response to receiving a user request. Upon activating the edema test, the method further includes locating for a user a skin area of a subject for testing of edema. In response to locating the skin area, the user is instructed to depress the skin area for causing a temporary indentation. One or more images of the temporary indentation are captured during an elapsed time period in which the skin area bounces back to a full or partial undepressed state. The one or more images are analyzed for characteristics of skin bounce-back. An edema result is determined based on the characteristics of the skin bounce-back.
According to yet other implementations of the present disclosure, a system is directed to determining an edema result. The system includes a probe having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end has a distal surface for causing a temporary indentation in a skin surface of a subject. The system further includes an electronic device with a housing for enclosing internal components. The housing has an external surface on which the proximal end of the probe is removably attached. The electronic device further has an electronic interface configured to receive user input from a user and to provide user instructions. The user input includes a user request for an edema test. The user instructions include procedural steps for the edema test. The electronic device also has a camera for detecting a change in skin characteristics of the subject, and a memory storing machine-readable instructions. The electronic device also has a control system including one or more processors configured to execute the machine-readable instructions. The machine-readable instructions include to activate the edema test in response to receiving the user request via the electronic interface. Upon activation of the edema test, the user instructions are provided for locating via the camera the skin area in the subject for testing. The user is instructed to depress the skin area for causing the temporary indentation. One or more images of the temporary indentation are captured, via the camera, as the skin area bounces back to a full or partial undepressed state. The images are analyzed for characteristics of skin bounce-back. An edema result is determined based on the characteristics of the skin bounce-back.
The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an example of some of the novel aspects and features set forth herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of representative embodiments and modes for carrying out the present invention, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Additional aspects of the disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
The disclosure, and its advantages and drawings, will be better understood from the following description of exemplary embodiments together with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only exemplary embodiments, and are therefore not to be considered as limitations on the scope of the various embodiments or claims.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in further detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Various embodiments are described with reference to the attached figures, where like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to scale and are provided merely to illustrate the instant invention. Several aspects of the invention are described below with reference to example applications for illustration. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the invention. One having ordinary skill in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the invention. The various embodiments are not limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement a methodology in accordance with the present invention.
Elements and limitations that are disclosed, for example, in the Abstract, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims, singly, or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise. For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed, the singular includes the plural and vice versa. The word “including” means “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,” “approximately,” “generally,” and the like, can be used herein to mean “at,” “near,” or “nearly at,” or “within 3-5% of,” or “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances,” or any logical combination thereof, for example.
Generally, the present disclosure describes a method and system for detecting edema in a patient (also referred to herein as a subject), based on analyzing bounce-back (or rebounding) of skin when depressed. The bounce-back is analyzed, for example, to determine how long it takes for the depressed skin to fully or partially rebound. The bounce-back is optionally analyzed by determining a color change of the affected skin area over time. For example, a color change is used to provide additional information related to skin characteristics during the bounce-back. The additional information includes, for example, where an indentation has occurred, blood flow at an indentation site, edema fluid flow at the indentation site, etc. Optionally, the system includes a probe that attached to an electronic device, such as a mobile device, to aid in applying pressure to the skin in a repeatable manner. The probe further allows a camera to view the test area through a lens or window of the probe 100% of the time while performing the edema test.
Referring to
The control system 110 includes one or more processors 112 (hereinafter, processor 112). The control system 110 is generally used to control (e.g., actuate) the various components of the system 100 and/or analyze data obtained and/or generated by the components of the system 100. The processor 112 can be a general or special purpose processor or microprocessor. While one processor 112 is shown in
The memory device 114 stores machine-readable instructions that are executable by the processor 112 of the control system 110. The memory device 114 can be any suitable computer readable storage device or media, such as, for example, a random or serial access memory device, a hard drive, a solid state drive, a flash memory device, etc. While one memory device 114 is shown in
The electronic interface 119 is configured to receive data (e.g., physiological data) from the one or more sensors 130 such that the data can be stored in the memory device 114 and/or analyzed by the processor 112 of the control system 110. The electronic interface 119 can communicate with the one or more sensors 130 using a wired connection or a wireless connection (e.g., using an RF communication protocol, a WiFi communication protocol, a Bluetooth communication protocol, over a cellular network, etc.). The electronic interface 119 can include an antenna, a receiver (e.g., an RF receiver), a transmitter (e.g., an RF transmitter), a transceiver, or any combination thereof. The electronic interface 119 can also include one more processors and/or one more memory devices that are the same as, or similar to, the processor 112 and the memory device 114 described herein. In some implementations, the electronic interface 119 is coupled to or integrated in the user device 170. In other implementations, the electronic interface 119 is coupled to or integrated (e.g., in a housing) with the control system 110 and/or the memory device 114.
The one or more sensors 130 of the system 100 include a microphone 140, a speaker 142, a radio-frequency (RF) receiver 146, a RF transmitter 148, a camera 150, an infrared sensor 152, a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor 154, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor 156, an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor 158, a capacitive sensor 160, a force sensor 162, a strain gauge sensor 164, an electromyography (EMG) sensor 166, an oxygen sensor 168, a depth sensor 169, a sonar sensor 171, or any combination thereof. Generally, each of the one or more sensors 130 is configured to output sensor data that is received and stored in the memory device 114 or one or more other memory devices.
While the one or more sensors 130 are shown and described as including each of the microphone 140, the speaker 142, the RF receiver 146, the RF transmitter 148, the camera 150, the infrared sensor 152, the photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor 154, the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor 156, the electroencephalography (EEG) sensor 158, the capacitive sensor 160, the force sensor 162, the strain gauge sensor 164, the electromyography (EMG) sensor 166, the oxygen sensor 168, a depth sensor 169, and a sonar sensor 171, the one or more sensors 130 can include any combination and any number of each of the sensors described and/or shown herein. The physiological data generated by one or more of the sensors 130 can be used by the control system 110 to determine an edema result based on characteristics of skin bounce-back, as described in more detail below.
The microphone 140 outputs sound data that can be stored in the memory device 114 and/or analyzed by the processor 112 of the control system 110. For example, the microphone 140 can be used to record sound during an edema test session. The microphone 140 can be coupled to or integrated in the user device 170.
The speaker 142 outputs sound waves that are audible to a user of the system 100. The speaker 142 can be used, for example, as an alarm clock or to play an alert or message to the user (e.g., in response to an event). The speaker 142 can be coupled to or integrated in the external device 170.
The microphone 140 and the speaker 142 can be used as separate devices. In some implementations, the microphone 140 and the speaker 142 can be combined into an acoustic sensor 141 (e.g., a sonar sensor), as described in, for example, International (PCT) Patent Publication Nos. WO 2018/050913 and WO 2020/104465, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In such implementations, the speaker 142 generates or emits sound waves at a predetermined interval and the microphone 140 detects the reflections of the emitted sound waves from the speaker 142. The sound waves generated or emitted by the speaker 142 have a frequency that is not audible to the human ear (e.g., below 20 Hz or above around 18 kHz). Based at least in part on the data from the microphone 140 and/or the speaker 142, the control system 110 can determine a location of the subject or subject's body part to be tested, and/or one or more characteristics of the skin bounce-back that is described in more detail below. Optionally or alternatively, the control system 110 determines a distance to a body part of the subject, mapping of the indentation, and/or respiration of the subject. According to another exemplary implementation, the control system 110 determines a velocity through a Doppler shift, which allows the control system 110 to know if the system 100 is not being held still by the subject or the user. Alternatively, the velocity is determined using an accelerometer. Optionally, if a determination is made that the system 100 is not being held still, a notification is provided to request that the subject or the user should “hold the device still.” In addition or alternatively, the control system 110 can determine sleep-related parameters described in herein such as, for example, a respiration signal, a respiration rate, an inspiration amplitude, an expiration amplitude, an inspiration-expiration ratio, a number of events (e.g., snoring, an apnea, a hypopnea, a restless leg, a sleeping disorder, choking, an increased heart rate, labored breathing, an asthma attack, an epileptic episode, a seizure, or any combination thereof) per hour, a pattern of events, a sleep state, a sleep stage, pressure settings of the respiratory device 122, or any combination thereof. In this context, a sonar sensor may be understood to concern an active acoustic sensing, such as by generating/transmitting ultrasound or low frequency ultrasound sensing signals (e.g., in a frequency range of about 17-23 kHz, 18-22 kHz, or 17-18 kHz, for example), through the air. Such a system may be considered in relation to WO 2018/050913 and WO 2020/104465 mentioned above. Methods for determining sleep states and/or sleep stages from physiological data generated by one or more of the sensors, such as sensors 130, are described in, for example, WO 2014/047310, US 2014/0088373, WO 2017/132726, WO 2019/122413, and WO 2019/122414, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The RF transmitter 148 generates and/or emits radio waves having a predetermined frequency and/or a predetermined amplitude (e.g., within a high frequency band, within a low frequency band, long wave signals, short wave signals, etc.). The RF receiver 146 detects the reflections of the radio waves emitted from the RF transmitter 148, and these data can be analyzed by the control system 110 to determine a location of the subject or the subject's body part to be tested, and/or one or more of the skin bounce-back characteristics described herein, the distance to the body part of a subject, mapping of the indentation, respiration of the subject, and/or the velocity of the system 100. An RF receiver (either the RF receiver 146 and the RF transmitter 148 or another RF pair) can also be used for wireless communication between the control system 110, the one or more sensors 130, the user device 170, or any combination thereof. While the RF receiver 146 and RF transmitter 148 are shown as being separate and distinct elements in
In some implementations, the RF sensor 147 is a part of a mesh system. One example of a mesh system is a WiFi mesh system, which can include mesh nodes, mesh router(s), and mesh gateway(s), each of which can be mobile/movable or fixed. In such implementations, the WiFi mesh system includes a WiFi router and/or a WiFi controller and one or more satellites (e.g., access points), each of which include an RF sensor that the is the same as, or similar to, the RF sensor 147. The WiFi router and satellites continuously communicate with one another using WiFi signals. The WiFi mesh system can be used to generate motion data based on changes in the WiFi signals (e.g., differences in received signal strength) between the router and the satellite(s) due to an object or person moving partially obstructing the signals. The motion data can be indicative of motion, breathing, heart rate, gait, falls, behavior, etc., or any combination thereof.
The camera 150 outputs image data reproducible as one or more images (e.g., still images, video images, thermal images, or a combination thereof) that can be stored in the memory device 114. The image data from the camera 150 can be used by the control system 110 to determine one or more of the skin bounce-back characteristics.
The infrared (IR) sensor 152 outputs infrared image data reproducible as one or more infrared images (e.g., still images, video images, or both) that can be stored in the memory device 114. The IR sensor 152 can be used in conjunction with the camera 150 when measuring the presence, location, and/or movement of a depressed skin area described herein. The IR sensor 152 can detect infrared light having a wavelength between about 700 nm and about 1 mm, for example, while the camera 150 can detect visible light having a wavelength between about 380 nm and about 740 nm.
The PPG sensor 154 outputs physiological data associated with the user that can be used to determine one or more user characteristics, such as, for example, a heart rate, a heart rate variability, a cardiac cycle, respiration rate, an inspiration amplitude, an expiration amplitude, an inspiration-expiration ratio, estimated blood pressure parameter(s), or any combination thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment, the PPG sensor 154 is part of the mobile phone, such as being part of a camera. According to another exemplary embodiment, the PPG sensor 154 is part of the camera and the flash of the mobile phone. The PPG sensor 154 detects a change in intensity of wavelengths, e.g., red, infrared, or green (which are the most common wavelengths). The detected change in wavelength intensity is provided as data for determining an edema result. The PPG sensor 154 can alternatively or additionally be worn by the user, can be embedded in clothing and/or fabric that is worn by the user, can be embedded in and/or coupled to its associated headgear (e.g., straps, etc.), etc. The physiological data of the PPG sensor 154 is optionally used to measure a perfusion index, which is correlated with an analysis of one or more images for confirming an edema result (disclosed in more detail below).
The ECG sensor 156 outputs physiological data associated with electrical activity of the heart of the user. According to exemplary embodiments, the ECG sensor 156 is worn by the user (e.g., in a smart watch), is embedded in clothing and/or fabric that is worn by the user, is embedded in and/or coupled to its associated chest band (e.g., straps, etc.), etc. The EEG sensor 158 outputs physiological data associated with electrical activity of the brain of the user. According to exemplary embodiments, the EEG sensor 158 is worn by the user, is embedded in clothing and/or fabric that is worn by the user, is embedded in and/or coupled to its associated headgear (e.g., straps, etc.), etc.
The capacitive sensor 160, the force sensor 162, and the strain gauge sensor 164 output data that can be stored in the memory device 114 and used by the control system 110 to determine one or more of the skin bounce-back characteristics described herein. The EMG sensor 166 outputs physiological data associated with electrical activity produced by one or more muscles. The oxygen sensor 168 outputs oxygen data indicative of an oxygen concentration of blood. The oxygen sensor 168 can be, for example, an ultrasonic oxygen sensor, an electrical oxygen sensor, a chemical oxygen sensor, an optical oxygen sensor (such as a PPG sensor), or any combination thereof. In some implementations, the one or more sensors 130 also include a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor, a blood flow sensor, a respiration sensor, a pulse sensor, a sphygmomanometer sensor, an oximetry sensor, or any combination thereof.
The depth sensor 169 detects a distance between the sensor and a patient or user, or a number of distances (or depths) to provide a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the skin area in which the temporary indentation is formed. For example, in reference to testing for edema (as disclosed in more detail below), the depth sensor 169 detects a change in depth caused by a temporary indentation in a skin surface. The sonar sensor 171 also detects the change in depth using acoustic measurement.
While shown separately in
The user device 170 includes a display device 172. The user device 170 can be, for example, a mobile device such as a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, or the like. Alternatively, the user device 170 can be an external display system, an external user input system, a television (e.g., a smart television) or another smart home device (e.g., a smart speaker(s) such as Google Home, Amazon Echo, Alexa etc.). In some implementations, the user device is a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch). The display device 172 is generally used to display image(s) including still images, video images, or both. In some implementations, the display device 172 acts as a human-machine interface (HMI) that includes a graphic user interface (GUI) configured to display the image(s) and an input interface. The display device 172 can be an LED display, an OLED display, an LCD display, or the like. The input interface can be, for example, a touchscreen or touch-sensitive substrate, a mouse, a keyboard, or any sensor system configured to sense inputs made by a human user interacting with the user device 170. In some implementations, one or more user devices can be used by and/or included in the system 100.
While the control system 110 and the memory device 114 are described and shown in
While system 100 is shown as including all of the components described above, more or fewer components can be included in a system for generating physiological data and determining a recommended notification or action for the user according to implementations of the present disclosure. For example, a first alternative system includes the control system 110, the memory device 114, and at least one of the one or more sensors 130. As another example, a second alternative system includes the control system 110, the memory device 114, at least one of the one or more sensors 130, and the user device 170. Thus, various systems can be formed using any portion or portions of the components shown and described herein and/or in combination with one or more other components.
Referring to
The mobile phone 200 is configured to initiate an edema test in a subject 201, which in this example is a patient in a home environment 203. The mobile phone 200 facilitates in a user-friendly, simple manner the taking of the edema test in one or more skin areas 205 of the patient 201. Examples of the skin areas 205 for the edema test are located in a thigh area 207 or a calf area 209 of either leg of the patient 201. According to other examples, the skin areas 205 are located on an arm or a foot of the patient 201. The edema test, as disclosed in more detail below, is administered by the patient 201 or by a third-party, such as a family member or a medical professional (e.g., a doctor, a nurse, a trained specialist, etc.). Although in this example the edema test is described in a home environment 203, according to optional or alternative examples the edema test is administered in others environments, such as a medical facility (e.g., a hospital, a doctor's office, etc.).
Referring to
Referring generally to
Referring specifically to
Optionally, in addition or alternative to the pressing of the activation icon 211, an audible command is received in a microphone 240 from the patient 201 (or other third-party). Optionally yet, the activation of the edema step is confirmed with an audio message 213 emitted by the mobile phone 200 via a speaker 242. The microphone 240 of the mobile phone 200 functions in accordance with the microphone 140 illustrated in
Referring specifically to
Referring specifically to
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Referring specifically to
Referring specifically to
According to one implementation, the images 231 are captured during a predetermined period of time, e.g., 60 seconds. According to another implementation, the images 231 are captured until the depth of the temporary indentation 227 is back to the original undepressed state of 0.0 mm. According to yet another implementation, the images 231 are captured until a predetermined depth is achieved, which is not necessarily the depth of 0.0 mm. The predetermined depth may be determined based on, for example, an initial depth of the temporary indentation 227 caused by the user (e.g., using a finger 223 or probe 247 as described herein) and from which initial depth the skin bounces back (once the finger 223 or probe 247 is removed from the skin area 205).
According to a first image 231a, at a time interval 0.15 seconds after causing the temporary indentation 227, the depth of the temporary indentation 227 is 2.0 mm and shows a first discoloration. Thus, this first image 231a captures skin bounce-back between the temporary indentation 227 and a partial undepressed state, which represents a partial rebounding of the skin area 205.
According to a second image 231b, at a time interval 0.5 seconds after causing the temporary indentation 227, the depth of the temporary indentation 227 is 1.0 mm and shows a second discoloration. The second discoloration is closer to a normal skin color than the first discoloration. Thus, this second image 231b captures a subsequent elapsed period of time between the temporary indentation 227 and a subsequent partial undepressed state. The subsequent elapsed period of time of 0.5 seconds is longer than the initial elapsed period of time of 0.15 seconds. The subsequent partial undepressed state in which the depth of the temporary indentation 227 is 1.0 mm represents a subsequent partial rebounding of the skin area 205. The subsequent partial rebounding of 1.0 mm is closer to the original undepressed state of 0.0 mm than the partial undepressed state of 2.0 mm.
According to a third image 231c, at a time interval of one second after causing the temporary indentation 227, the skin bounce-back is now back to normal with a 0.0 mm depth and no discoloration. Thus, the total time for achieving full or complete bounce-back of the skin was one second.
In addition to images captured after the causation of the temporary indentation 227, one or more images are optionally captured before and/or during the depression of the skin area 205. These additional images are useful in providing a comparison between a depressed and an undepressed state of the skin area 205.
Referring specifically to
The analyzed characteristics optionally include a compensation for an elapsed time during which the skin area 205 was obstructed from view, e.g., by the finger 223 (shown in
Referring specifically to
As already mentioned above, the edema result is optionally confirmed using physiological data of the patient detected via a PPG sensor. The physiological data are used to measure the perfusion index and, then, the perfusion index is correlated with the edema result. According to an alternative implementation, the characteristics of the skin bounce-back are further selected from a group consisting of oxygen data (e.g., perfusion index, SpO2, etc.) and flushness data. Thus, the edema result is optionally based one or more of bounce-back characteristics selected from PPG data, hemoglobin data, oxygen data, flushness data, and bounce-back data.
Referring specifically to
A menu icon 243 facilitates administering one or more subsequent edema tests and/or other options related to the present edema test. Optionally, the subsequent edema tests locate the same skin area for testing as the present edema test. The same skin area increases consistency and/or reliability of the test results.
Referring to
The probe assembly 245 includes the probe 247 that has a proximal end 249 reversibly attached to an exterior surface 251 of a housing 253 of the mobile phone 200. The probe 247 further has a distal end 255 that is used to cause the temporary indentation 227 (shown in
In addition to the probe 247, the probe assembly 245 includes an attachment assembly 257 that reversibly fixes the proximal end 249 to the exterior surface 251. The attachment assembly 257 includes an attachment base 259 mounted over an attachment plate 261 (shown in
Referring specifically to
The attachment assembly 257 provides a clearance for an illumination element 267 of the mobile phone 200, which is typically in the form of a flash for the camera 250. The clearance is achieved by a top slotted hole 269 of the attachment base 259 overlapping a bottom slotted hole 271 of the attachment plate 261. Illumination from the flash 267 optionally illuminates a body part of the patient 201 during the edema test disclosed above. For example, the flash 267 illuminates skin areas 205 (shown in
Optionally, the probe 247 is formed at least in part from a translucent and/or transparent material, which is the same as or similar to the imaging conduit 265. For example, walls of the probe 247, which extend between the proximal end 249 and the distal end 255), are made from a translucent material and/or a transparent material. The translucent and/or transparent characteristic of the probe 247 advantageously allows illumination of a subject's skin, using ambient light, without requiring a dedicated light source, such as the illumination element 267 of the mobile phone 200.
Referring to
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Referring more specifically to
To aid in measuring movement, internal marks 279 are provided internally within the movable element 269. As the movable element 269 is depressed, such as when pressing against a skin surface 205 (as illustrated in
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According to the example illustrated in
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According to one or more illustrative embodiments, any of the systems or methods described above further detect or monitor edema in a subject in response to treatment of at least one edema-related condition. The edema-related condition is selected from a group consisting of one or more sleep-related conditions and/or respiratory-related conditions. For example, the detecting or monitoring of edema occurs before, during, or after the treatment of the sleep-related conditions and/or respiratory-related conditions. By way of further example, at least one of the conditions is one or more of a Disordered Breathing condition and a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) condition.
According to one or more illustrative embodiments, any of the systems or methods described above further detect or monitor edema in a subject in response to treatment of lymphedema. For example, the detecting or monitoring of edema occurs before, during, or after the treatment of the lymphedema. The lymphedema includes primary lymphedema or secondary lymphedema. The primary lymphedema is caused by one or more of Milroy's disease, Meige disease, or Late-onset lymphedema. The secondary lymphedema is a result of a procedure or condition that results in damage or removal of lymph nodes or lymph vessels. For example, the secondary lymphedema is caused by one or more of a surgical operation, cancer, radiation treatment, or infection of the lymph nodes.
Devices, methods, and/or garments used in the treatment of lymphedema are described in, for example, PCT/US2019/055474 and WO2020/077008, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. For example, lymphedema treatments include compression therapy, which is optionally administered with a compression garment as described in PCT/US2019/055474 and WO2020/077008.
One or more elements or aspects or steps, or any portion(s) thereof, from one or more of any of claims 1-87 below can be combined with one or more elements or aspects or steps, or any portion(s) thereof, from one or more of any of the other claims 1-87 or combinations thereof, to form one or more additional implementations and/or claims of the present disclosure.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or implementations, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Each of these implementations and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is also contemplated that additional implementations according to aspects of the present disclosure may combine any number of features from any of the implementations described herein.
This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/981,976, filed on Feb. 26, 2020, titled “Method and Apparatus for Edema Detection,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2021/051590 | 2/26/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62981976 | Feb 2020 | US |