Biological Signal Measuring System for Congenital Heart Disease Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical professionals face difficulties in visually comparing and accurately determining differences in arterial oxygen saturation values between two pulse oximeters attached to different body parts, leading to challenges in congenital heart disease screening.
Innovation Solution
A biological signal measuring system that includes optical sensors attached to multiple body parts, acquiring and averaging oxygen saturation values over predetermined time periods, and displaying a difference value, while also utilizing cross-correlation functions to determine optimal averaging times and reduce measurement errors due to blood arrival time differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If two pulse oximeters are used to measure arterial oxygen saturation at different body parts, then congenital heart disease can be detected through value comparison, but the medical person faces difficulty in visually comparing and correctly identifying the difference between numerical values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a difference value calculating unit as an intermediary that automatically computes the difference between the first and second arterial oxygen saturation values. This mediator transforms the complex visual comparison task into a simple display of a single difference value, resolving the contradiction by maintaining detection accuracy while dramatically improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically calculating and displaying the difference value without requiring manual intervention from the medical person. The difference value calculating unit autonomously processes the saturation values from both pulse oximeters and presents the result, eliminating the burden of visual comparison while preserving the diagnostic capability.
2Measurement precision
If arterial oxygen saturation values are averaged over different time periods, then measurement errors due to blood arrival time differences are minimized, but the complexity of determining optimal averaging times increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-determining optimal averaging time periods based on physiological characteristics of blood flow. The cross-correlation function calculating unit performs preliminary analysis to identify time offsets that maximize correlation between signals from different body parts, allowing the system to use these pre-optimized time periods for averaging without requiring complex real-time adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback through cross-correlation analysis to determine the optimal time relationship between averaging periods. By calculating the cross-correlation function between attenuation ratio changes or oxygen saturation changes at different body parts, the system receives feedback on time synchronization and adjusts the averaging time periods accordingly, achieving high measurement precision while automating the complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system reduces the burden on medical professionals by moderating temporal changes in oxygen saturation values and minimizing measurement errors, supporting accurate determination of congenital heart disease through clear display of difference values and heart rate information.
Implementation Method 1
a first attenuation ratio acquiring section which is configured to acquire a temporal change of a first attenuation ratio corresponding to an attenuation ratio of a plurality of wavelengths in the first body portion, based on a first signal output from the first optical sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A biological signal measuring system includes: first and second optical sensors attached to first and second body portions of a subject; a first average oxygen saturation acquiring section acquiring a first average value corresponding to an average value of the first oxygen saturation corresponding to an arterial oxygen saturation in the first body portion in a predetermined time period starting at a first time; a second average oxygen saturation acquiring section acquiring a second average value corresponding to an average value of the second oxygen saturation corresponding to an arterial oxygen saturation in the second body portion in the predetermined time period starting at a second time that is different from the first time; and a difference value acquiring section acquiring a difference value, to be displayed, between the first average value and the second average value.