Non-Invasive Physiological Quantification of Stress Levels

Abstract

A data acquisition device includes measuring instruments to generate physiological and / or psychological data streams. Microprocessors within the acquisition device process the generated data streams into metrics, which feed into stress function algorithms. Algorithm processing may occur either on the device, or metrics may be communicated via wireless communication for external processing on mobile devices and / or cloud-based platforms. The calculated stress functions inform cloud-based computational systems biology-derived models describing the dynamics of hormones and neurotransmitters released in the body in response to stressful stimuli. Stress hormone levels are quantified using these models, and are used in combination to serve as biologically inspired metrics of acute and chronic stress an individual is experiencing.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS[0001]This invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 251,996, filed Nov. 6, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to the field of non-invasive digital health monitoring and signal processing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for non-invasive quantification of stress levels in a human subject.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Stress is a fundamental problem in today's society. While young and healthy individuals may be able to handle bouts of acute stress, continual exposure to acute as well as chronic stress may have long-term effects that are harmful to health. A need exists to monitor stress levels to allow for better stress management and therefore a reduction in negative health effects related to stress.[0004]Stress is a complex physiological and psychological phenomenon. Although a number of physiologi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a wearable data acquisition device that measures physiological and psychological data, such as blood pressure and heart rate, and converts them into biological metrics. These metrics are then fed into algorithms that predict a person's level of stress. The device can communicate with external mobile devices or a cloud-based computing platform for additional analysis and reporting. The invention provides quantitative measures of stress that can be used for healthcare, insurance, and wellness applications.

Problems solved by technology

Stress is a fundamental problem in today's society.

While young and healthy individuals may be able to handle bouts of acute stress, continual exposure to acute as well as chronic stress may have long-term effects that are harmful to health.

Although a number of physiological and psychological stress measurements exist, no single gold standard metric for the quantification of acute and / or chronic stress exists.

Existing stress measurements are considered too simplistic and / or invasive and / or hard to measure, and therefore, existing stress measurements do not offer reliable and / or continuous monitoring of stress levels.

While the body has negative feedback systems in place to ensure that the body returns to homeostasis after an acute stress stimulus, exposure to chronic stress causes this system to be over-stimulated, which may have severe health implications.

However, it has been shown that HRV measurements are not a perfect representation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems and that these two systems are not correlated under all conditions.

Research has shown that using HRV alone as a measurement of stress is an oversimplification of a complicated physiological process.

All of these measurements are considered too simplistic or invasive and / or hard to measure and therefore do not offer reliable and / or continuous monitoring of stress levels.

A caveat of salivary cortisol measurements is that salivary cortisol measurements do not perfectly compare with blood cortisol levels due to the fact that some salivary cortisol levels are due to cortisone activity in the mouth and that samples require laboratory analysis.

Therefore, it is difficult to obtain quick results or to enable continuous monitoring.

Arousal of the sympathetic branch of the autonomous nervous system leads to an increase in sweat gland activity, which leads to an increase in skin conductance.

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