Systems and methods for monitoring subjects in potential physiological distress

摘要

The present invention provides systems and methods for monitoring in real time the physiological status of one or more subjects, especially subject engaged in potentially hazardous or dangerous activities. Systems include wearable items with one or more physiological sensors and a local data unit (LDU) operatively coupled to the sensors. The LDUs digitize and filter sensor data, extract physiological parameters, determine abnormal or not acceptable physiological conditions, and communicate to external monitoring facilities. The external facilities display status and data concerning monitored subjects. In preferred embodiments, communication between the LDUs and the external monitoring facilities dynamically adjusts to the condition of the subjects and to system changes such as subjects and external facilities entering and leaving and/or moving from place to place. The invention also provides program products for performing this invention's methods.

主权项

1. A method for real-time monitoring of a subject using a monitoring apparatus, wherein the monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of physiological sensors, a memory and a processor, the method comprising:
the plurality of physiological sensors obtaining sensor data from the subject, said sensor data including anatomical data indicative of changes in a cross-sectional area of the subject's torso over time, the processor determining a physiological parameter for the subject as a function of said anatomical data; the processor accessing a library of subject data stored in the memory of said monitoring apparatus, the subject data including a plurality of baseline physiological parameters, the baseline physiological parameters including at least one of baseline cardiac rate, baseline cardiac stroke volume, baseline respiration rate, baseline respiration tidal volume and baseline minute ventilation; the processor comparing said physiological parameter for the subject to said library of subject data; the processor determining a physiological state of the subject as a function of said physiological sensor data, said physiological parameter, and said library of subject data, the determination of physiological state includes an indication of whether said physiological parameter of the subject is within a target range, the processor determining a reason for the physiological state for the subject such that the processor adjusts processing of the data to more frequently sample and process data from pertinent sensors based on the reason for the determined physiological state; the monitoring apparatus wirelessly transmitting said physiological state to a selected external monitoring display unit so as to provide a message to inquire a response from an individual monitoring the external monitoring display unit; and displaying said physiological state and said message at said selected external monitoring display unit.