Heart Failure Assessment via Visual and Sensor Data Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cardiac rehabilitation programs, especially those conducted outside hospital settings, lack effective monitoring of heart failure risk factors and function, leading to potential adverse events and increased morbidity and mortality due to inadequate oversight.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method utilizing sensor data and image analysis to assess heart failure, combining computer vision and machine learning to detect biological conditions and visual characteristics indicative of heart health, providing accurate notifications for worsening heart failure and enabling remote healthcare monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If home-based cardiac rehabilitation programs are implemented, then cost is reduced and accessibility is improved, but monitoring capability and patient safety deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidpatient safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables patients to perform self-monitoring at home using sensors and image capture devices. Patients can independently assess their own heart failure status through automated analysis of sensor data and visual characteristics, eliminating the need for continuous professional oversight while maintaining safety through automated detection and notification capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously collects sensor data and image data, analyzes them to detect visual characteristics indicative of heart failure, and provides feedback through notifications to both patients and healthcare providers. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures timely detection of worsening conditions even in remote settings, maintaining patient safety without requiring hospital-based monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If generic heart rate guidelines are used for exercise prescription, then program implementation is simplified, but individualization and effectiveness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprogram implementationVSAvoidindividualization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts exercise prescriptions based on real-time analysis of sensor data and visual characteristics. Rather than using static generic guidelines, the system continuously monitors patient status and adapts exercise parameters to individual needs, allowing both simplified implementation through automated guidance and precise individualization through continuous monitoring and adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If automated detection of visual characteristics is implemented, then assessment accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassessment accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a single image capture device that serves multiple functions: capturing visual characteristics for heart failure assessment, monitoring patient appearance for adverse events, and providing telepresence capability. This multi-functional approach improves assessment accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity, as one device performs several critical functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces complex manual clinical assessment procedures with automated image analysis and sensor data processing. Instead of requiring physicians to perform detailed physical examinations, the system uses automated detection of visual characteristics from images and sensor measurements, improving assessment accuracy while reducing the operational complexity of the monitoring system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3410928B1Aparatus and method for assessing heart failure
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3410928B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3410928B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3410928B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to various embodiments, an apparatus for assessing heart failure can include an image sensor configured to capture image data of a user, a sensor configured to capture sensor data for theuser, a memory configured to store the image data and the sensor data, and a processor coupled to the image sensor, the sensor, and the memory. The processor is configured to detect a biological condition regarding a user based on sensor data, obtain image data of the user in response to detecting the biological condition, detect a visual characteristic for heart health of the user from the image data, and in response to detecting the visual characteristic, provide heart failure information for the user.