Monitoring, predicting and treating clinical episodes
Apparatus is provided, including a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto. The apparatus includes an output unit and a control unit. The control unit is configured to: (a) analyze the motion signal, (b) at a first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely sleeping, (c) at a second time following the first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely no longer sleeping, and (d) in response thereto, drive the output unit to alert a clinician if the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of a bed. Other applications are also described.
1. Apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto;
an output unit; and
a control unit configured to:
analyze the motion signal,
at a first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely to be sleeping,
at a second time following the first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely to no longer be sleeping,
in response thereto, determine that the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of a bed, and
in response thereto, drive the output unit to alert a clinician that the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of the bed,
the control unit being configured to adapt a threshold for the alerting of the clinician based on an input selected from the group consisting of: an input indicative of a characteristic of a medication administered to the subject, an input indicative of the subject having undergone surgery, and an input indicative of a time of day,
wherein the sensor is further configured to generate a signal indicative of whether the subject is in or out of bed, and
wherein the control unit is further configured to (a) drive the output unit to generate an alert if the subject has been out of bed for at least a defined period of time, and (b) withhold driving the output unit to generate the alert if the subject has been out of bed for less than one minute.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, at the first time, that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on reduced motion of the subject.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the reduced motion as being indicative that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on previously-measured motion patterns of the subject.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, at the first time, that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on the motion signal and a time of day.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject without contacting the subject or clothes the subject is wearing.
6. Apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto;
an output unit; and
a control unit configured to:
analyze the motion signal,
at a first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely to be sleeping,
at a second time following the first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely to no longer be sleeping,
in response thereto, determine that the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of a bed, and
in response thereto, drive the output unit to alert a clinician that the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of the bed,
the control unit being configured to adapt a threshold for the alerting of the clinician based on an input selected from the group consisting of: an input indicative of a characteristic of a medication administered to the subject, an input indicative of the subject having undergone surgery, and an input indicative of a time of day,
wherein the control unit is further configured to analyze noise characteristics of the motion signal and determine in response thereto a physical disposition of the subject,
wherein in determining the physical disposition of the subject, the control unit is configured to determine whether the subject is lying down or sitting up in bed.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sensor comprises a single sensor for sensing motion of the subject.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject without contacting the subject or clothes the subject is wearing.
9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject without contacting or viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing.
10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to adapt the threshold for alerting the clinician based on an input indicative of a characteristic of a medication administered to the subject.
11. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to adapt the threshold for alerting the clinician based on an input indicative of the subject having undergone surgery.
12. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, at the first time, that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on reduced motion of the subject.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the reduced motion as being indicative that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on previously-measured motion patterns of the subject.
14. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, at the first time, that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on the motion signal and a time of day.
15. Apparatus comprising:
a sensor configured to sense motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto;
an output unit; and
a control unit configured to:
analyze the motion signal,
at a first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely to be sleeping,
at a second time following the first time, determine that the motion signal is indicative that the subject is likely to no longer be sleeping,
in response thereto, determine that the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of a bed, and
in response thereto, drive the output unit to alert a clinician that the subject is at an increased risk for falling out of the bed,
wherein the control unit is configured to adapt the threshold for alerting the clinician based on an input indicative of a time of day.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, at the first time, that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on reduced motion of the subject.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the reduced motion as being indicative that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on previously-measured motion patterns of the subject.
18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, at the first time, that the subject is likely to be sleeping, based on the motion signal and a time of day.
19. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense motion of the subject without contacting the subject or clothes the subject is wearing.
20. Apparatus comprising:
a motion sensor configured to sense body motion of a subject and generate a motion signal in response thereto;
a control unit configured to analyze the motion signal and differentiate between body motion that involves a posture change and body motion that does not involve a posture change; and
a user interface for receiving an indication that a clinician changed the posture of the subject,
wherein the control unit is further configured to identify when (a) a detection of a posture change by the sensor and the control unit and (b) receipt of the indication by the user interface, both occur within a window of defined duration.