System and method for providing user feedback of blood pressure sensor placement and contact quality
A novel and useful system and method for generating user feedback related to the quality of the placement and contact of a blood pressure sensor on a user's body. The sensor is incorporated in a wearable blood pressure measurement device that is capable of analyzing and providing feedback regarding the quality of placement and contact of the pressure sensor array. The wearable includes a pressure sensor array for monitoring blood pressure, means for attaching the pressure sensor to a user's body for measuring a region, a processor operative to record pressure signals from said sensor array and to calculate quality of pressure sensor contact to measurement area score, and a display operative to determine and display the quality of the placement and contact of the pressure sensor. A quality metric indicating the quality of the placement and contact of the pressure sensor is provided as feedback to the user. Directional arrows along with alphanumeric messages guide the user to achieve optimum placement of the device.
1 . A computer-implemented method of providing feedback to a user relating to proper quality of placement and contact of a blood pressure sensor in a wearable device, the method comprising:
receiving blood pressure waveform data from a blood pressure sensor array comprising a plurality of pressure sensors;
calculating, via a processor housed within the wearable device, individual quality metrics, in accordance with said blood pressure sensor array waveform data, using pulse analysis comprising at least two of: sliding spectrum estimation, normalizing spectral energy, noise level, spectral peak(s) power, pulse decomposition or blood pressure pulse detection, for individual pressure sensors;
generating a spatial map representing the individual quality metrics for the blood pressure sensor array;
calculating, via the processor, a final quality metric as a function of the individual quality metrics and the spatial map, wherein said final quality metric is indicative of proper placement and contact quality;
comparing the final quality metric to a pre-determined threshold score;
providing real-time feedback to the user, if the final quality metric and the spatial map are indicative of inadequate placement and/or contact quality, said feedback comprises instructing the user to adjust the placement and/or contact of the wearable device in at least one of the following directions: clockwise, counterclockwise, upward, or downward, in accordance with the spatial map; and
dynamically updating feedback instructions in real time, as the user modifies the placement of the wearable device.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said individual quality metrics indicate the quality of the signal and/or whether a pulse was found or not, for the respective pressure sensor of the array.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein if said final quality metric indicates no pulse found or if the final quality metric is below the threshold score, said feedback indicates action is required by the user before a blood pressure measurement can be made.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein if said final quality metric indicates no pulse found or if the final quality metric is below the threshold score, said feedback provides the one or more indications to the user regarding proper placement and/or tightness of said wearable device.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein if said final quality metric indicates a pulse was found or if the final quality metric is above the threshold score, said feedback indicates no action is required.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said feedback comprises at least one of text messages, non-text messages, lights, visible messages, audible messages, and haptic vibrations.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising presenting the spatial map to a user as a feedback.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said feedback further comprises indicating to the user to tighten the wearable device to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting skin temperature to aid in determining whether said wearable device is incorrectly placed over an artery or not tight enough around a user's wrist.
10 . An apparatus for providing feedback to a user relating to proper quality of placement and contact of a blood pressure sensor in a wearable device, comprising:
a wristband for attachment to a user's body;
a pressure sensor array mounted on said wristband, said pressure sensor array comprising a plurality of pressure sensors;
a processor housed within the wearable device, said processor coupled to a memory and operative to:
receive sensor waveform data from said pressure sensor array and calculate a quality metric for individual pressure sensors in said pressure sensor array based on waveform pulse analysis comprising at least two of:
sliding spectrum estimation, normalizing spectral energy, noise level, spectral peak(s) power, pulse decomposition or blood pressure pulse detection;
generate a spatial map representing the individual quality metrics for the entire pressure sensor array;
calculate a final quality metric as a function of the individual quality metrics and the spatial map, said final quality metric is indicative of proper placement and contact quality of said pressure sensor array on the user's body;
compare the final quality metric to a pre-determined threshold score;
generate real-time user feedback based on said final quality metric; and
a feedback device coupled to said processor, said feedback device configured to provide feedback instructions to the user, in real time;
wherein if the final quality metric and the spatial map are indicative of inadequate placement and/or contact quality, the feedback comprises one or more-instructions to adjust the placement and/or contact of the wearable device, in at least one of the following directions: clockwise, counterclockwise, upward, or downward, in accordance with the spatial map;
wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically update the feedback, in real time, as the user modifies the placement of the wearable device on his person.
11 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the user feedback is selected from at least one of text messages, non-text messages, lights, visible messages, audible messages, and haptic vibrations.
12 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said final quality metric calculated by the processor is indicative as to the quality of the pressure signal and/or whether a pulse was detected or not.
13 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said processor is operative to present the spatial map to the user as a feedback.
14 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said user feedback comprises indicating to the user to at least one of (1) move the wearable device clockwise or counterclockwise along the wrist to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured, (2) move the wearable device up or down the arm to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured, and (3) tighten the wearable device to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured.
15 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a temperature sensor adapted to detect skin temperature to aid in determining whether said wearable device is incorrectly placed over an artery or not tight enough around a user's wrist.
16 . A wearable device for measuring blood pressure of a user, comprising:
a wristband for attachment to a user's body;
a housing mounted on said wristband;
a display mounted in said housing for displaying blood pressure data;
a pressure sensor array mounted on said wristband, said pressure sensor array comprising a plurality of pressure sensors and operative to acquire a blood pressure waveform signal;
a processor housed within the housing and coupled to a memory, said processor operative to
receive sensor waveform data from said pressure sensor array and calculate a quality metric for individual pressure sensors in said pressure sensor array, using pulse analysis comprising at least two of: sliding spectrum estimation, normalizing spectral energy, noise level, spectral peak(s) power, pulse decomposition or blood pressure pulse detection;
generate a spatial map representative of the individual quality metrics for the entire pressure sensor array;
calculate a final quality metric as a function of the individual quality metrics and the spatial map, said quality metric is indicative of proper placement and contact quality of said pressure sensor array on the user's person, wherein the final quality metric indicates the quality of the pressure signal;
compare the final quality metric to a pre-determined threshold score;
generate real-time user feedback based on said quality metric;
if said final quality metric exceeds a threshold, generate a blood pressure measurement for indicating on said display; and
a feedback device coupled to said processor, said feedback device configured to provide feedback instructions to the user, in real-time,
wherein if the final quality metric and the spatial map are indicative of inadequate placement and/or contact quality, the feedback comprises one or more instructions to adjust the placement and/or contact of the wearable device, in at least one of the following directions: clockwise, counterclockwise, upward, or downward, in accordance with the spatial map;
wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically update the feedback as the user modifies the placement of the wearable device on his person.
17 . The wearable device according to claim 16 , wherein said user feedback comprises at least one of text messages, non-text messages, lights, visible messages, audible messages, and haptic vibrations as user feedback.
18 . The wearable device according to claim 16 , wherein said user feedback comprises indicating to the user to at least one of (1) move the wearable device clockwise or counterclockwise along the wrist to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured, (2) move the wearable device up or down the arm to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured, and (3) tighten the wearable device to position a center of the sensor array directly over an artery to be measured.
19 . The wearable device according to claim 16 , further comprising a temperature sensor adapted to detect skin temperature to aid in determining whether said wearable device is incorrectly placed over an artery or not tight enough around a user's wrist.