Method and system for improving physiologic status and health via assessment of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave using plethysmographic technique

Abstract

The present invention specifies a method and system for assessing the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave using plethysmographic sensing techniques. The dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave is measured and plotted for purposes of diagnosis and or remedial biofeedback.

1 . A method for assessing a dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave, comprising:
 detecting the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave as a function of changing blood volume using a plethysmographic device;   assessing at least one characteristic of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave; and   providing at least one output for diagnostic purposes, wherein the at least one output represents the assessed at least one characteristic of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave, and   whereby providing the at least one output further comprises specifying at least one of an amplitude change, a frequency change, and a phase change for the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the providing the at least one output further comprises defining at least one of a visual target and a visual threshold for the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and providing the at least one of the visual target and the visual threshold to at least one of a clinician and a user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising identifying a first dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and wherein assessing the at least one characteristic of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave further comprises characterizing the first dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising identifying a second dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and wherein assessing the at least one characteristic of the second dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave further comprises determining whether the second dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave is equal to or different from the first dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the amplitude of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave is expressed as a percentage of average amplitude, the percent of average amplitude being determined by dividing the amplitude of a given cycle or cycles by a long term average of a larger number of cycles and multiplying the result by 100. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a phase of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave is correlated with a phase of the heart rate cycle such that the user can be instructed to breathe so as to maximize the 180 degree alignment of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and heart rate cycle. 
     
     
         7 . A system for assessing a dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave, comprising:
 a plethysmographic device adapted to sense changing blood volume; and   a computing device adapted to:
 detect the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave as a function of the changing blood volume; 
 assess at least one characteristic of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave; and 
 provide at least one output for diagnostic purposes, wherein the at least one output represents the assessed at least one characteristic of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave; and 
   wherein in being adapted to provide at least one output, the computing device is further adapted to specify at least one of an amplitude change, a frequency change, and a phase change for the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the computing device is further adapted to define at least one of a visual target and a visual threshold for the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and to provide the at least one output based upon the at least one of the visual target and the visual threshold to at least one of a clinician and a user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the computing device is further adapted to identify a first dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and to characterize the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave relative to the first dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave wherein the first dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave is based upon blood volume values sensed via the plethysmographic device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the computing device is further adapted to identify a second dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and to determine whether the second respiratory arterial pressure wave is equal to or different from the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the computing device is further adapted to express the amplitude of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave as a percentage of average amplitude by dividing the amplitude of a given cycle or cycles by a long term average of a larger number of cycles and multiplying the result by 100. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the computing device is further adapted to correlate a phase of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave with a phase of the heart rate cycle such that the user can be instructed to breathe so as to maximize the 180 degree alignment of the dynamic respiratory arterial pressure wave and heart rate cycle.