Automated interpretive medical care system and methodology
View Patent ↗Improved apparatus and methods for monitoring, diagnosing and treating at least one medical respiratory condition of a patient are provided, including a medical data input interface adapted to provide at least one medical parameter relating at least to the respiration of the patient, and a medical parameter interpretation functionality ( 104, 110 ) adapted to receive the at least one medical parameter relating at least to the respiration ( 102 ) of the patient and to provide at least one output indication ( 112 ) relating to a degree of severity of at least one medical condition indicated by the at least one medical parameter.
1. A method employing at least signal processing of a CO2 waveform for providing an output indication relating to at least one respiratory disorder of a patient, the method comprising:
receiving, from a capnograph, a CO2 waveform indicative of partial-pressure CO2 values of the patient;
receiving from a second sensing unit a second signal indicative of a second medical parameter; and
using a processor:
defining at least one section of the CO2 waveform;
wherein the parameter comprises a slope of a CO2 concentration curve, an angle of rise, a time to rise, run time of the rise, curvature,
acceleration, or area under the curve of said at least one section of the CO2 waveform, or any combination of these parameters;
computing at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform; and
wherein computing at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform comprises computing an initial slope and an angle of rise to a predetermined percentage of a maximum concentration of CO2;
diagnosing a type and a degree of severity of said at least one respiratory disorder indicated by said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform, wherein diagnosing the type of said respiratory disorder comprises
identifying respiration impairment based on said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform and said second medical parameter; and
if respiration impairment is identified:
distinguishing between an upper airway obstruction and a lower airway obstruction;
wherein distinguishing between said upper airway obstruction and said lower airway obstruction comprises determining a time duration to reach a predetermined percentage of a maximum CO2 concentration; and
providing an output indication responsive to a pattern of changes in the degree of severity of said respiration impairment over time.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining at least one section of a CO 2 waveform comprises defining a region between two boundary points on the CO 2 waveform.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising defining at least two sections of the waveform.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising defining at least three sections of the waveform.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a first section of the at least three sections comprises a rising section, a second section of the at least three sections comprises a plateau and a third section of the at least three sections comprises a declining section.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining a baseline section.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a value of said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform and said second medical parameter to a predetermined value.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter exceeds the predetermined value.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter is at or below the predetermined value.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a value of
said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform and said second medical parameter to a predetermined range of values.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter exceeds the predetermined range of values.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter is within or below the predetermined range of values.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a value of a parameter to a previously computed value of the parameter.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining whether the value of said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform and said second medical parameter exceeds the previously computed value of the parameter.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter is at or below the previously computed value of the parameter.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a value of
said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform and said second medical parameter to a range of previously computed values of the parameter.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter exceeds the range of previously computed values of the parameter.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter is within or below the range of previously computed values of the parameter.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter exceeds a baseline value.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether the value of the parameter exceeds a varying baseline value in a statistically significant way.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the determining of whether the value of the parameter exceeds the varying baseline value in a statistically significant way comprises determining a Z-score for the value of the parameter against the varying baseline value, and using the Z-score to determine whether the varying baseline value and the value of the parameter are significantly different.
22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising computing a trend of the at least one parameter relating to the waveform.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising comparing a value of the trend to a predetermined value.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising determining whether the value of the trend is at or below the predetermined value.
25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising determining whether the value of the trend exceeds a varying baseline value in a statistically significant way.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising the steps of calculating a variation of a trend, and determining a Z-score for a measured value against the variation of the trend, then using the Z-score to determine whether the variation of the trend and the measured value are significantly different.
27. The method of claim 22 , further comprising determining whether the value of the trend exceeds the predetermined value.
28. The method of claim 22 , further comprising comparing a value of the trend to a predetermined range of values.
29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising determining whether the value of the trend exceeds the predetermined range of values.
30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising determining whether the value of the trend is within or below the predetermined range of values.
31. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said at least one parameter relating to the CO2 waveform and said second medical parameter.