Circulatory monitoring systems and methods
Systems and methods are described for obtaining and acting upon information indicative of circulatory health and related phenomena in human beings or other subjects.
1 . A system comprising:
means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb; and
means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
2 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb comprises:
means for signaling a selective expansion of one or more actuation elements configured to affect the second external portion of the subject's limb.
3 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb comprises:
means for selecting an element configured to interact with apparently healthy tissue as the second external portion of the subject's limb.
4 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb comprises:
means for causing one or more actuation elements to reduce a force exerted upon the first external portion of the subject's limb.
5 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for detecting an apparent change in the subject's limb over a period of several seconds or more.
6 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for receiving thermal information from one or more sensors adjacent the subject's limb.
7 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for detecting additional information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
8 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for obtaining information from a remote source including at least the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
9 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for indicating one or more of a thigh location, a calf location, or a foot location as the first external portion of the subject's limb.
10 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for updating a normality threshold configured to evaluate other thermal information about the subject's limb.
11 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for detecting how long a thermal abnormality apparently remains in the first external portion of the subject's limb.
12 . The system of claim 1 in which the means for obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
means for causing a thermal abnormality in the first external portion of the subject's limb.
13 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
means for determining whether a decreased force is exerted upon the first external portion of the subject's limb.
14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wearable article supporting at least some of the means for obtaining the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bed comprising the artificial support.
16 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more wheels configured to convey the artificial support.
17 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
means for transmitting a notification about the subject's limb partly in response to an availability indication about a destination and partly in response to the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
18 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
means for including a timestamp with a notification about the subject's limb.
19 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
means for including other physiological information with a notification about the subject's limb.
20 - 53 . (canceled)
54 . A method comprising:
obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb; and
causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
55 . The method of claim 54 in which causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb comprises:
signaling a selective expansion of one or more actuation elements configured to affect the second external portion of the subject's limb.
56 . The method of claim 54 in which causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb comprises:
selecting an element configured to interact with apparently healthy tissue as the second external portion of the subject's limb.
57 . The method of claim 54 in which causing an artificial support to exert an increasing force upon a second external portion of the subject's limb at least partly in response to locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb comprises:
causing one or more actuation elements to reduce a force exerted upon the first external portion of the subject's limb.
58 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
detecting an apparent change in the subject's limb over a period of several seconds or more.
59 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
receiving thermal information from one or more sensors adjacent the subject's limb.
60 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
detecting additional information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
61 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
obtaining information from a remote source including at least the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.
62 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
indicating one or more of a thigh location, a calf location, or a foot location as the first external portion of the subject's limb.
63 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
updating a normality threshold configured to evaluate other thermal information about the subject's limb.
64 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
detecting how long a thermal abnormality apparently remains in the first external portion of the subject's limb.
65 . The method of claim 54 in which obtaining locally-abnormal thermal information about a first external portion of a subject's limb comprises:
causing a thermal abnormality in the first external portion of the subject's limb.
66 . The method of claim 54 further comprising:
determining whether a decreased force is exerted upon the first external portion of the subject's limb.
67 . The method of claim 54 , further comprising:
transmitting a notification about the subject's limb partly in response to an availability indication about a destination and partly in response to the locally-abnormal thermal information about the first external portion of the subject's limb.