System and method for monitoring cardiac activity

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring cardiac activity, comprising a detection device comprising a sensor element for detecting signals representative of cardiac activity, as well as signal processing devices for detecting malfunctions. To enable early detection of strokes, the sensor element is designed for placement near an ear (1) or in an ear (1), and the processing device is designed to enable conclusions about cardiac activity to be drawn from signals from the sensor element.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system for monitoring cardiac activity, comprising a detection device having a sensor element for detecting signals representative of cardiac activity, and a device processing the signals to detect a malfunction.

[0002] Measurement-based checks of bodily functions, such as monitoring heart rate using an ECG recording, are usually performed sporadically during doctor's appointments. Even with regular doctor visits and regular checkups, there are considerable periods of time between checkups during which malfunctions can occur and then subside. Atrial fibrillation, which causes blood clots and is a significant risk factor for stroke, often goes undetected.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of creating a new monitoring system of the type mentioned above which enables frequent checks at short intervals with little effort and, in particular, allows the risk of a stroke to be detected at an early stage.

[0004] The system according to the invention which achieves this object is characterized in that the sensor element is designed for arrangement near an ear or in an ear and the processing device is designed to enable conclusions to be drawn about cardiac activity from signals from the sensor element. In an advantageous embodiment, the sensor element is designed as a microphone and / or as a loudspeaker for detecting signals in the form of pressure fluctuations in an ear. The human ear canal is surrounded by a rich capillary system, so that pressure fluctuations or a corresponding pulsation synchronous with the heartbeat can be detected via the microphone and / or the loudspeaker. From these pressure fluctuations or the pulsation, the processing device, which can be arranged inside or outside the ear, can determine whether a patient has a regular or irregular heartbeat.

[0005] In an advantageous embodiment, the system additionally comprises an external microphone and is designed as a hearing aid. This can take advantage of the fact that with increasing age, particularly after the age of 50, the frequency of atrial fibrillation, which is a frequent trigger of strokes, and also hearing loss increases significantly. Consequently, it is possible to resort to already known hearing aids, which, in addition to an external microphone for detecting ambient noise, also have a loudspeaker directed inward into the ear canal to emit external noises into the ear canal at an amplified level. According to the invention, this loudspeaker can also be used as a microphone to detect pressure fluctuations or pulsation and thus the heartbeat.

[0006] Additionally or alternatively, the sensor element can have at least one, preferably two, electrodes to allow conclusions to be drawn about cardiac activity from the electrical resistance of the adjacent ear. Preferably, the electrodes can be used to measure the alternating current resistance of the adjacent ear, from which the heartbeat can be determined.

[0007] Additionally or alternatively, the system can comprise a hollow chamber which is partially delimited by a membrane, wherein the sensor element is designed to detect pressure fluctuations in the hollow chamber. If the system is attached adjacent to an ear or in an ear, the membrane can be oriented towards the ear canal so that pressure fluctuations in the ear canal are transmitted via the membrane to the hollow chamber. The pressure fluctuations in the hollow chamber, which is preferably filled with air, can then be detected by the sensor element to determine the heartbeat. This allows the heartbeat to be detected in parallel with the operation of the loudspeaker and / or the microphone.

[0008] The system can be designed as an earphone, i.e. as an ear canal earphone (“in-the-ear earphone”) or earbud earphone, or as a headphone in the form of a shell earphone with one or two ear capsules.

[0009] Particularly preferably, the processing device can be configured to detect a pulsation synchronous to the heartbeat in the ear canal. This can be achieved either by a loudspeaker already present in hearing aids, earphones, or headphones, by an additional microphone, or by a pressure measurement in a hollow chamber of the system, wherein the earphone, headphones, or hearing aid preferably hermetically seals the ear canal or ear. Alternatively or additionally, the pulsation can be determined by means of the electrodes via the change in the alternating current resistance of the adjacent ear. The processing device can be configured to detect from the pulsation whether a patient has a regular or irregular heartbeat.

[0010] In the event of cardiac arrhythmia, the system can advantageously issue a warning to the patient via an output device. This output device can, in turn, be the aforementioned loudspeaker, which is used to generate a corresponding warning tone or announcement.

[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment, the microphone can be a double-diaphragm microphone and / or strain gauges can be provided to detect pressure fluctuations in one ear.

[0012] Furthermore, a method for monitoring cardiac activity is claimed, in which signals representative of cardiac activity are detected using a detection device comprising a sensor element, and the signals are processed by a device to detect malfunctions. The method is characterized in that the sensor element is arranged near or in an ear, with the processing device detecting signals in an ear and deriving conclusions about cardiac activity from them.

[0013] Advantageously, the sensor element is designed as a microphone and / or loudspeaker for detecting signals in the form of pressure fluctuations.

[0014] Particularly advantageously, the loudspeaker of a hearing aid, earphone, or headphone can be used as a sensor element to detect pressure fluctuations in an ear. In particular, the loudspeaker can be used to generate sounds or announcements during certain periods of time and as a microphone to detect pressure fluctuations during other periods. The measurement of pressure fluctuations can preferably take place during resting phases, for example, during sleep.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, it can be provided that the sensor element has at least one, preferably two electrodes in order to enable conclusions to be drawn about the cardiac activity from the electrical (alternating current) resistance of the adjacent ear.

[0016] Using the above-mentioned method, when atrial fibrillation is detected, the patient can be alerted via the system's loudspeaker and asked to perform an ECG with medical assistance to clarify the situation and take countermeasures before a stroke occurs.

[0017] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an ear with a hearing aid with loudspeaker inserted into the ear canal.

[0018] In Fig.Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an ear 1 with a hearing aid 3 inserted into the ear canal 2. The hearing aid 3 comprises a loudspeaker 4, which faces the ear canal 2. If an external noise is amplified and transmitted to the loudspeaker 4 via the hearing aid 3, hearing assistance can be achieved in a known manner by the hearing aid 3. However, the loudspeaker 4 can also be used as a microphone to detect pressure fluctuations or pulsations within the ear canal 2 due to cardiac activity. This makes it possible to use the hearing aid 3 to detect whether a regular or irregular heartbeat or whether a cardiac arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation is present, in order to warn the wearer of the hearing aid 3 if necessary. Consequently, a hearing aid 3 equipped in this way can significantly improve health care for heart disease and cardiac arrhythmia.

[0019] Instead of the hearing aid 3 shown, which is inserted into the ear canal 2, an earphone or headphone not shown here can also be used, wherein the earphone is also inserted at least partially into the ear canal 2 or fastened to the auricle 5 and the headphone surrounds the auricle 5 in the form of a shell headphone.

[0020] Alternatively or additionally, the hearing aid 3 can also comprise two electrodes arranged on the outside, which can be designed as impedance electrodes 6a, 6b to allow conclusions about cardiac activity to be drawn from the electrical (alternating current) resistance of the adjacent ear. The impedance electrodes 6a, 6b can advantageously be arranged on the preferably tubular section of the hearing aid 3 that can be inserted into the ear and can particularly advantageously be arranged spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction, in particular on opposite sides.

[0021] However, the signals can also be transmitted to a processing device, e.g. a mobile device such as a smartphone, whereby the processing device or a data acquisition device can display the results and provide recommendations. List of reference symbols: 1 ear 2 ear canal 3 Hearing aid 4 speakers 5 auricle 6a, 6b Impedance electrodes

Claims

[1] System for monitoring cardiac activity, with a detection device having a sensor element for detecting signals representative of cardiac activity and a device processing the signals for detecting a malfunction, characterized by that the sensor element is designed to be arranged near an ear (1) or in an ear (1) and the processing device is designed to enable conclusions to be drawn about the heart activity from signals from the sensor element. [2] System according to claim 1, characterized by that the sensor element is designed as a microphone and / or loudspeaker (4) for detecting signals in the form of pressure fluctuations in an ear. [3] System according to claim 2, characterized by that the system additionally includes an external microphone and is designed as a hearing aid (3). [4] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the sensor element has at least one, preferably two electrodes in order to enable conclusions to be drawn about the cardiac activity from the electrical resistance of the adjacent ear. [5] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a hollow chamber which is partially delimited by a membrane, wherein the sensor element is designed to detect pressure fluctuations in the hollow chamber. [6] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the system is designed as an earphone or headphone with one or two earpieces. [7] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the processing device is designed to detect a pulsation synchronous to the heartbeat in the auditory canal (2). [8] System according to claim 7, characterized bythat the processing device is designed to detect from the pulsation whether a patient has a regular or irregular heartbeat. [9] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an output device for warning a patient in the event of a cardiac arrhythmia, in particular in the form of the loudspeaker (4). [10] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a dual-diaphragm microphone and / or strain gauges to record pressure fluctuations in one ear. [11] A method for monitoring cardiac activity, wherein signals representative of cardiac activity are detected by a detection device having a sensor element and the signals are processed by a device to detect malfunctions, characterized bythat the sensor element is arranged near an ear or in an ear, wherein the processing device detects signals in an ear and draws conclusions about the heart activity therefrom. [12] Method according to claim 11, characterized by that the sensor element is designed as a microphone and / or loudspeaker (4) for detecting signals in the form of pressure fluctuations. [13] Method according to claim 12, characterized by that the microphone and / or loudspeaker (4) of a hearing aid (3), an earphone or a headphone is used as a sensor element to detect the pressure fluctuations in an ear. [14] Method according to claim 9, characterized by that the loudspeaker (3) is used in certain time periods to generate sounds and in other time periods as a microphone to record the pressure fluctuations. [15] Method according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized bythat the sensor element has at least one, preferably two electrodes (6a; 6b) in order to enable conclusions to be drawn about the cardiac activity from the electrical resistance of the adjacent ear.

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