Mobile vascular health evaluation devices using doppler ultrasound and correlation of parameters to output recommendations to a wrist-mounted display

Abstract

A mobile measurement system comprising a computing device; one or more sensors that are coupled to the computing device using one or more corresponding compatible digital interfaces; and logic encoded with instructions which when executed perform determining and storing vascular function information and one or more of: values of metrics or parameters; physiological analysis of the parameters and the vascular function information; recommendations for actions that an individual or healthcare provider should take in response to the recommendations or parameters. Embodiments further include processes for using vascular function information collected from a mobile measurement system to generate the parameters, analysis, and recommendations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile measurement system comprising:
 a computing device comprising one or more processors;   one or more first sensors that:
 are operatively coupled to the computing device, and 
 are configured for attachment to peripheral artery locations of a human body; 
   wherein the one or more first sensors comprise at least one ultrasound sensor;   one or more second sensors operatively coupled to the computing device;   wherein the computing device is configured to:
 in conjunction with the one or more first sensors, acoustically measure blood flow in a blood vessel, 
 perform bidirectional waveform Doppler ultrasound analysis, 
 based at least in part on the Doppler ultrasound analysis, determine one or more first parameters comprising vascular function information that reflects the elasticity of vascular walls of the blood vessel; 
 in conjunction with the one or more second sensors, determine one or more second parameters, comprising one or more of:
 blood pressure, 
 pulse, 
 respiration, 
 oxygenation, 
 glucose level, and 
 nitric oxide level; 
 
 detect when changes in the magnitude of values from the vascular function information cross a particular threshold; and 
 in response to detecting that changes in the magnitude of values from the vascular function information cross the particular threshold, generate one or more recommendations of treatment, based on:
 the one or more first parameters, and 
 the one or more second parameters. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more recommendations of treatment comprise one or more reports or protocols, and 
 determining the one or more recommendations of treatment comprises looking up the one or more reports or protocols based on a mapping from the one or more first parameters and the one or more second parameters to the one or more reports or protocols. 
 
     
     
         3 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 2  further comprising a wrist-mounted display, wherein the mobile measurement system is configured to display the one or more recommendations of treatment on the wrist-mounted display. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein the computing device comprises any of: a smartphone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more second sensors include one or more sensors for detecting blood pressure; and 
 the one or more second parameters include blood pressure. 
 
     
     
         6 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more second sensors include one or more sensors for detecting pulse; and 
 the one or more second parameters include pulse. 
 
     
     
         7 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more second sensors include one or more sensors for detecting respiration; and 
 the one or more second parameters include respiration. 
 
     
     
         8 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more second sensors include one or more sensors for detecting oxygenation; and 
 the one or more second parameters include oxygenation. 
 
     
     
         9 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more second sensors include one or more sensors for detecting glucose level; and 
 the one or more second parameters include glucose level. 
 
     
     
         10 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more second sensors include one or more sensors for detecting nitric oxide level; and 
 the one or more second parameters include nitric oxide level. 
 
     
     
         11 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 2  wherein the one or more reports or protocols comprise one or more of: a protocol for exercise, a protocol for sports performance, a protocol for changes in patient lifestyle, a protocol for patient stress management. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 make a first determination whether levels of one or more of blood pressure, pulse, or rate of respiration are elevated;   make a second determination whether nitric oxide as measured in blood or rate of respiration has increased;   make a third determination whether a change in the magnitude of a Doppler vascular waveform velocity crosses a particular threshold; and   in response to the first, second, and third determinations all being affirmative, generate recommendations for at least one of: exercise, water consumption, and aspirin consumption.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1  further comprising an electrocardiogram (ECG) apparatus, and wherein generating the one or more recommendations of treatment is based on ECG data and the vascular function information. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is incorporated into a steering wheel of a motor vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile measurement system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises any of a ring-mounted computer, a hat-mounted computer, a helmet-mounted computer, and an eyewear-mounted computer.