Implantable monitoring device and method of operating the implantable monitoring device

Abstract

An implantable monitoring device includes first sensors to measure state information of one or both of a posture and an activity of a user and second sensors to measure bioinformation of two or more of an electrocardiogram (ECG) of a heart of the user, a pulmonary impedance of a lung of the user, a movement of the heart, a movement of a thorax including the lung, and a respiratory quotient (RQ) of the lung, two electrodes to detect bioinformation to measure one or both of the ECG and the pulmonary impedance, an analog circuit to process the detected bioinformation to measure the one or both of the ECG and the pulmonary impedance, and a processor to monitor an abnormal state of the heart and the lung of the user based on the state information and the bioinformation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implantable monitoring device, comprising:
 first sensors configured to measure state information of one or both of a posture and an activity of a user;   second sensors configured to measure bioinformation of two or more of a pulmonary impedance of a lung of the user, a movement of a thorax including the lung, and a respiratory quotient (RQ) of the lung, the second sensors including a potential sensor configured to measure the pulmonary impedance and a pressure sensor configured to measure the RQ;   two electrodes configured to detect bioinformation to measure the pulmonary impedance;   an analog circuit configured to process the detected bioinformation to measure the pulmonary impedance; and   a processor configured to:
 determine the posture of the user is a lying posture based on the state information measured by the first sensors, 
 determine whether the RQ measured by the pressure sensor is greater than a normal RQ and determine whether the pulmonary impedance measured by the potential sensor is less than a normal range, and 
 transmit a signal indicating a possibility of occurrence of pulmonary edema in the lung of the user in response to determining that the RQ is greater than the normal RQ and that the posture of the user is the lying posture and/or in response to determining that the pulmonary impedance is less than the normal range and that the posture of the user is the lying posture. 
   
     
     
         2 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable monitoring device is implanted into a subcutaneous fat layer within a preset distance from the lung on one side of the user,
 wherein the potential sensor is configured to sense a potential difference between the electrodes at an implantation position in which the implantable monitoring device is implanted, to measure the pulmonary impedance, and   wherein the pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure at the implantation position to measure one or more of the movement of the thorax, and the RQ.   
     
     
         3 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the analog circuit includes one or more of:
 a current generator configured to generate an alternating current (AC) to measure the pulmonary impedance;   a voltage amplifier configured to amplify an AC voltage between the electrodes; and   an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert an analog signal based on the AC voltage to a digital signal based on a direct current (DC) voltage.   
     
     
         4 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 3 , wherein the analog circuit is configured to:
 obtain the pulmonary impedance by analyzing an AC voltage between the electrodes measured when the AC generated through the current generator is supplied.   
     
     
         5 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 monitor an abnormal state of the lung based on one or more of the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the thorax, and the RQ based on the state information.   
     
     
         6 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 monitor an abnormal state of the lung of the user based on a result of comparing the bioinformation of the two or more of the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the thorax, and the RQ, and a reference value of bioinformation of the two or more of the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the thorax, and the RQ that is classified by each posture and activity of the user.   
     
     
         7 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a database configured to classify the bioinformation of the two or more of the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the thorax, and the RQ by each posture and activity of the user, and store the classified bioinformation.   
     
     
         8 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein a measurement period of the first sensors and the second sensors is preset. 
     
     
         9 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
 a communication antenna configured to transmit a result of the monitoring;   a wireless power transfer antenna configured to receive energy wirelessly; and   a power management circuit configured to charge a battery configured to supply power to the implantable monitoring device using the energy.   
     
     
         10 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors include:
 a motion sensor configured to measure one or both of the posture and the activity of the user; and   an impedance sensor configured to measure the pulmonary impedance of the lung of the user.   
     
     
         11 . An implantable monitoring device, comprising:
 first sensors configured to measure state information of one or both of a posture and an activity of a user;   second sensors configured to measure bioinformation of two or more of an electrocardiogram (ECG) of a heart of the user, a pulmonary impedance of a lung of the user, a movement of the heart, a movement of a thorax including the lung, and a respiratory quotient (RQ) of the lung, the second sensors including a potential sensor configured to measure the pulmonary impedance and a pressure sensor configured to sense an abnormal movement of the heart and to measure the RQ;   two electrodes configured to detect bioinformation to measure one or both of the ECG and the pulmonary impedance;   an analog circuit configured to process the detected bioinformation to measure one or both of the ECG and the pulmonary impedance; and   a processor configured to:
 determine whether the ECG is in a normal range or an abnormal range, 
 detect the abnormal movement of the heart via the pressure sensor, and 
 transmit a signal indicating the possibility of a stroke or infectious endocarditis in response to detecting the abnormal movement of the heart and determining that the ECG is in the normal range. 
   
     
     
         12 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the implantable monitoring device is implanted into a subcutaneous fat layer within a preset distance from the heart of the user,
 wherein the potential sensor is configured to sense a potential difference between the electrodes at an implantation position in which the implantable monitoring device is implanted, to measure the ECG, and   wherein the pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure at the implantation position to measure the movement of the heart.   
     
     
         13 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 monitor an abnormal state of the heart based on two or more of the ECG, the pulmonary impedance, and the movement of the heart based on the state information.   
     
     
         14 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 detect that the movement of the heart are out of a normal range based on the state information, and transmit a signal indicating a possibility of occurrence of a valvular disease in the heart of the user in response to the ECG being in the normal range and the movement of the heart and the RQ of the lung being out of a normal range.   
     
     
         15 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 transmit a signal indicating a possibility of occurrence of heart failure in the heart of the user in response to determining that the pulmonary impedance is less than the normal range and that the posture of the user is the lying posture.   
     
     
         16 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 monitor an abnormal state of the heart of the user based on a result of comparing the bioinformation of the two or more of the ECG, the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the heart, and the RQ, and a reference value of bioinformation of the two or more of the ECG, the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the heart, and the RQ that is classified by each posture and activity of the user.   
     
     
         17 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a database configured to classify the bioinformation of the two or more of the ECG, the pulmonary impedance, the movement of the heart, the movement of the thorax, and the RQ by each posture and activity of the user, and store the classified bioinformation.   
     
     
         18 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein a measurement period of the first sensors and the second sensors is preset. 
     
     
         19 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , further comprising one or more of:
 a communication antenna configured to transmit a result of the monitoring;   a wireless power transfer antenna configured to receive energy wirelessly; and   a power management circuit configured to charge a battery configured to supply power to the implantable monitoring device using the energy.   
     
     
         20 . The implantable monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second sensors include:
 a motion sensor configured to measure one or both of the posture and the activity of the user;   an ECG sensor configured to measure an electrical signal of the heart of the user; and   an impedance sensor configured to measure the pulmonary impedance of the lung of the user.