Sepsis Detection via Thermal Stimulation and Vascular Response Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for sepsis detection are biased towards false positives due to the difficulty in differentiating sepsis from other diseases, leading to unnecessary medical interventions and potential misdiagnosis, especially in early stages where sepsis is reversible.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive screening system using a sensor device with a heat pump and optical/thermal components to induce temperature changes on the skin, measuring vascular endothelial responses through photoplethysmogram data and skin surface temperatures, and analyzing fundus images to detect microvascular dysregulation, allowing for early sepsis detection and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current sepsis detection systems use traditional monitoring methods, then they can detect sepsis symptoms, but they produce high false positive rates due to difficulty differentiating sepsis from other diseases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection process into multiple independent components: thermal imaging for temperature distribution, photoplethysmography for vascular response, and fundus imaging for microvascular assessment. Each component provides a specific physiological parameter that, when combined, creates a comprehensive sepsis profile that distinguishes sepsis from other conditions with similar symptoms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes thermal imaging to detect color/temperature changes in skin surface and microvascular patterns in fundus images. Sepsis patients exhibit characteristic thermal patterns and vascular color changes that differ from other diseases, providing visual biomarkers for accurate differentiation and reduced false positives.
2Reliability
If traditional sepsis detection methods are used, then hospital admission and treatment can be initiated, but unnecessary medical interventions occur due to false positives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary non-invasive screening using thermal imaging, photoplethysmography, and fundus imaging before hospital admission. This preliminary assessment identifies high-confidence sepsis cases while filtering out false positives, allowing clinicians to prioritize resources for patients who truly need intensive intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical procedures (blood draws, cultures, physical examinations) with non-invasive optical and thermal sensing. This substitution maintains diagnostic accuracy while eliminating unnecessary invasive interventions for false positive cases, reducing patient burden and medical resource consumption.
3Measurement precision
If invasive blood draws and cultures are performed for sepsis detection, then definitive diagnosis can be obtained, but patient discomfort and additional costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes invasive mechanical blood draws and culture procedures with non-invasive optical sensing systems. Thermal cameras detect temperature patterns, photoplethysmography sensors measure vascular responses, and fundus cameras image microcirculation—all without penetrating the skin or requiring blood extraction, thereby eliminating patient discomfort while maintaining diagnostic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical and thermal fields as intermediaries between the diagnostic system and the patient's physiology. These fields interact with bodily tissues to extract diagnostic information without physical intrusion, serving as mediators that bridge the gap between non-invasive measurement and definitive diagnosis.
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
The system enables accurate, non-invasive detection and monitoring of sepsis by differentiating vascular responses in septic patients from non-septic ones, reducing false positives and improving early intervention opportunities.
Implementation Method 1
the heat pump is a Peltier device
Implementation Method 2
the optical component is a photoplethysmogram sensor that measures photoplethysmogram data at the induced temperature change
Implementation Method 3
the thermal component measures skin surface temperatures to provide a closed loop feedback control
Implementation Method 4
a fluid channel defined inside the cavity between the inlet and the outlet; a heat pump mounted inside the cavity, the heat pump having a side surface thermally coupled to the fluid channel
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor device includes a housing defining a cavity, an inlet to receive fluid pumped from an instrument device, an outlet to return the fluid to a fluid reservoir, and a fluid channel defined inside the cavity between the inlet and the outlet. A heat pump is mounted inside the cavity, and has a side surface thermally coupled to the fluid channel and an opposite side surface thermally coupled to a plate. The heat pump is configured to induce a temperature change. A sensor unit is aligned with an aperture in the plate and includes an optical component and a thermal component. The optical component configured to measure a vascular endothelial response from the induced temperature change.