Circulatory monitoring systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for obtaining and acting upon information indicative of circulatory health and related phenomena in human beings or other subjects.

1 . A system comprising:
 means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject's body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body; and   means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject's body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for detecting the result at least one day after detecting the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject's body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for receiving a structural change indication in the result of the one or more comparisons.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject's body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for including a current thermal indication of the peripheral part of the subject's body in the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for enabling a performance of the one or more comparisons at a resource remote from the subject's body.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for obtaining the result partly based on an indication of one or more nutrients in the subject's body.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for extracting the decision whether to transmit the notification from the result of the one or more comparisons.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for deciding to transmit the notification in response to the result indicating a monotonic measurement change over at least N sampling intervals, where N>1.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for accepting a caregiver's input as a determinant of the decision whether to transmit the notification.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for transmitting a conmmon graphical image containing the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body with the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 a buffer; and   a condition detector configured to apply one or more standards.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for transmitting one or more images of an abnormality in the peripheral part of the subject's body with the notification.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for transmitting one or more measurements of the peripheral part of the subject's body with the notification.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 a concentration-indicative sensor.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 a force-indicative sensor.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface; and   means for recognizing whether a signal from the user interface apparently contains any of the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more sensor-containing modules external to the subject's body.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more items implanted into the subject's body and configured to provide at least some of the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         19 - 68 . (canceled) 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject's body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for receiving a structural change indication in the result of the one or more comparisons.   
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for detecting a result of one or more comparisons between information indicating current local stress in a peripheral part of a subject's body and information indicating prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for including a current thermal indication of the peripheral part of the subject's body in the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for enabling a performance of the one or more comparisons at a resource remote from the subject's body.   
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for obtaining the result partly based on an indication of one or more nutrients in the subject's body.   
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for extracting the decision whether to transmit the notification from the result of the one or more comparisons.   
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for deciding to transmit the notification in response to the result indicating a monotonic measurement change over at least N sampling intervals, where N>1.   
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for transmitting a common graphical image containing the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body with the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.   
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 a buffer; and   a condition detector configured to apply one or more standards.   
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for transmitting one or more images of an abnormality in the peripheral part of the subject's body with the notification.   
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 means for transmitting one or more measurements of the peripheral part of the subject's body with the notification.   
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 a concentration-indicative sensor.   
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 2  in which the means for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification in response to the result of the one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body and the information indicating the prior local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body comprises:
 a force-indicative sensor.   
     
     
         81 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 one or more items implanted into the subject's body and configured to provide at least some of the information indicating the current local stress in the peripheral part of the subject's body.