KR101880819B1 - Method and apparatus for newborn baby measuring sleep apnea, and newborn baby sleep apnea measuring system - Google Patents

Abstract

A neonatal apnea measuring device for diagnosing neonatal apnea symptoms based on image and bio signal according to impedance data at the chest of a newborn and transmitting an alarm signal according to a diagnosis result and its operation method and a neonatal apnea measurement system , The probability of a false alarm is lowered by using air distribution changes in the lungs based on the anatomical location of the chest image according to the impedance data measured from the electrodes attached to the chest surface of the newborn, And can be used to diagnose and alert more accurate neonatal apnea symptoms.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a neonatal apnea measurement device and an operation method thereof, and a neonatal apnea measurement system,

The present invention relates to a device for measuring neonatal apnea, an operation method thereof, and a neonatal apnea measurement and alarm system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a neonatal apnea measurement and alarm system for detecting neonatal apnea symptoms based on image data and a biomedical signal according to impedance data at a chest of a neonate or premature infant. A neonatal apnea measurement device and an operation method thereof, and a neonatal apnea measurement and alarm system.

Sleep apnea is a serious health care problem that causes adults to suffer from heart disease, obesity, fatigue and drowsiness, and the trend is increasing worldwide. Such sleep apnea can be a fatal risk to newborns and infants.

Most of the methods for continuously detecting the breathing status of the existing neonate are methods for measuring the indirect biological signals, and there is a problem that the measurement of the apnea of the neonate is inaccurate and provides a false alarm.

The method of measuring the air flow in the nasal canula using pressure or the method of measuring the airflow using a thermistor has been used as a method of detecting apnea, There was a possibility of error generation.

In addition, in the case of the indirect apnea detection method using oxygen saturation and electrocardiogram, there was a time delay in providing the alarm, and there was a limit of the indirect measurement method for monitoring the secondary change of the living body due to apnea.

Accordingly, it has been required to develop a respiratory monitor for measuring the degree and state of respiration according to the actual flow of air by the respiration as well as the respiration of the neonate in a more direct and continuous manner and providing an accurate alarm accordingly .

There is a technique for monitoring the apnea of the neonate by measuring the change of the one-dimensional time-varying impedance and providing the alarm. However, the causes of various impedance changes occurring in the chest (respiration, movement of the blood flow, Etc.), there are many false alarms that cause the reliability of the alarm to fall.

Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2006-0087753 (Title of the invention: Integrated management system for newborns using RFID and method thereof) Korean Patent No. 10-1623167 (Title of the Invention: Newborn Monitoring System) Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-0107827 (Title of the Invention: Integrated Neonatal Management Device)

The present invention relates to a neonatal apnea measuring device for attaching a plurality of electrodes to a chest of a newborn baby, wearing an electrode belt or an electrode vest, imaging a change in air distribution in the lungs according to impedance data measured from electrodes attached to the chest surface, An operation method thereof, and a neonatal apnea measurement system.

In addition, the present invention lowers the probability of false alarms using the change in air distribution in the lungs based on the anatomical location of the neonatal chest image, and more accurately diagnoses apnea symptoms in the neonate through integrated analysis with sensed bio- A neonatal apnea measurement device, an operation method thereof, and a neonatal apnea measurement system.

In addition, the present invention provides a neonatal apnea measurement device and its operation method which can provide an immediate warning of a neonate's apnea symptom to a designated caregiver so that it can safely and conveniently take care of the neonate, and a neonatal apnea measurement and alarm system.

 The apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of electrodes for current injection and voltage sensing and includes a chest electrode unit attached along a circumference of a chest of a newborn to be measured, A sensing unit for sensing a biological signal, a current supply unit for selectively supplying a current to at least one or more selected electrode pairs of the plurality of electrodes, measuring a voltage through unselected electrodes, A controller for imaging the inside of the chest of the newborn, a diagnosis unit for diagnosing the neonatal apnea symptom using the imaged chest image and the sensed bio-signal, and for transmitting an alarm according to the diagnosis result .

The neonatal apnea measurement system according to the embodiment of the present invention selectively supplies current to at least one selected pair of electrodes in a plurality of electrodes attached along the peripheries of the chest of a newborn and measures a voltage through unselected electrodes A neonatal respiratory apnea detecting neonatal apnea symptom by imaging the inside of the chest according to the air distribution in the lung of the newborn from the obtained impedance data and using the visualized chest image and the sensed bio signal in contact with the measurement target part of the neonate, And an external terminal for receiving the alarm signal according to the diagnosis result and the chest image to monitor the apnea state of the newborn baby.

A method for measuring apnea of a neonate using a neonatal apnea measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of selectively supplying current to at least one selected pair of electrodes in a plurality of electrodes attached along a perimeter of a chest of a neonate , Imaging the inside of the chest based on the impedance data obtained at the measured voltage, measuring the voltage through the non-selected electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, contacting the measurement target part of the newborn baby Sensing a signal, quantifying the imaged chest image, diagnosing apnea symptoms of the newborn using the sensed bio-signal, and transmitting an alarm signal according to the diagnosis result.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of electrodes are attached to a chest of a newborn baby, an electrode belt or an electrode vest is worn, and a change in lung internal air distribution according to impedance data measured from electrodes attached to the chest surface is imaged can do.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the probability of false alarm is reduced by using the air distribution change in the lung based on the anatomical position in the chest image of the newborn, and more accurate neonatal Can be diagnosed.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide the guardian with an immediate warning of the apnea symptom of the newborn to safely and conveniently take care of the newborn baby.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A shows an embodiment of a neonatal apnea measurement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B shows a schematic view of a chest electrode unit.
FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically show a composite electrode employed in the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus shown in FIG. 2B.
Figs. 4A to 4D schematically show an electrode belt, and Fig. 4E shows an example in which an electrode belt is attached to a human body of a newborn baby.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show changes in measurement data and chest images in the apnea interval.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a neonatal apnea measurement and alarm system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 shows an example of monitoring neonatal apnea symptoms.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring apnea symptoms in a neonate using the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to or limited by the embodiments.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of illustrating embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. It is noted that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" used in the specification are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the components, steps, operations, and / Or additions.

As used herein, the terms "embodiment," "example," "side," "example," and the like should be construed as advantageous or advantageous over any other aspect or design It does not.

Also, the term 'or' implies an inclusive or 'inclusive' rather than an exclusive or 'exclusive'. That is, unless expressly stated otherwise or clear from the context, the expression 'x uses a or b' means any of the natural inclusive permutations.

Also, the phrase "a" or "an ", as used in the specification and claims, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, or to the singular form, .

Furthermore, the terms first, second, etc. used in the specification and claims may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Also, commonly used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. The terminology used herein is a term used for appropriately expressing an embodiment of the present invention, which may vary depending on the user, the intent of the operator, or the practice of the field to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, the definitions of these terms should be based on the contents throughout this specification.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention imaged impedance data measured from a plurality of electrodes attached to the periphery of a chest of a newborn baby, and uses the chest image and sensed bio- And diagnoses the neonatal apnea symptom and transmits an alarm signal.

The neonatal apnea measurement apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a chest electrode unit 110, a sensing unit 120, a controller 130, and an apnea diagnosis unit 140.

The chest electrode unit 110 has a plurality of electrodes for current injection and voltage sensing, and is attached along the peripheries of the chest of the newborn to be measured.

The plurality of electrodes may be an EIT (Electrical Impedance Tomography) electrode attached to the circumference of the chest of a newborn to measure impedance data for the chest.

The EIT electrode may be arranged on one side of a base plate made of a flexible material and attached to the periphery of the chest of a newborn baby, and may be in the form of a belt or a vest, depending on the embodiment.

In addition, the EIT electrode may be disposed on one side of a base plate made of a fiber material corresponding to sensitive skin of a newborn baby.

In addition, the EIT electrode is used to measure the induced voltage by injecting a relatively low current, for example, 1 mA or less, which can not be sensed by a newborn baby, and the current-voltage data measured through the EIT electrode is transmitted through the chest And can be used to detect structural changes that cause closure.

The plurality of electrodes may be at least one of a simple electrode and a composite electrode.

The sensing unit 120 senses a living body signal in contact with a measurement target site of the newborn baby.

For example, the sensing unit 120 may include a plurality of sensors, and may sense a bio-signal of a newborn during sleep by a fiber-based sensor. The plurality of sensors may be fiber sensors corresponding to sensitive skin of a newborn baby.

According to an embodiment, the sensing unit 120 may include a blood oxygen saturation measuring sensor for measuring a blood oxygen saturation (SpO ₂ ) signal of an arterial blood according to a measurement target portion in a sleep state of a newborn baby, A position detection sensor for detecting the movement of the newborn baby, and an electrocardiogram measuring sensor for measuring the electrocardiogram of the measurement target site.

Here, the sensor for measuring oxygen saturation of blood is to measure the oxygen saturation (SpO ₂ , Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen) indicating the content of oxygen present in the hemoglobin among the various components constituting the blood attached to the measurement target site of the newborn .

According to the embodiment, the blood oxygen saturation measuring sensor measures the signal relating to the PPG (Photoplethysmography) of the human body of the reflected or transmitted newborn baby using the light, and based on the signal concerning the measured optical pulse wave of the infant Blood oxygen saturation can be measured.

In addition, the sound detection sensor may sense sound of at least one of breathing, snoring, crying and sleeping along the water surface. According to the embodiment, the sound detection sensor may be attached to the measurement target site of the newborn during sleep, Contact < / RTI >

Further, the attitude measuring sensor may be formed from at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and may be attached to a measurement target site of a newborn baby to measure the attitude according to movement of the newborn baby.

For example, an attitude sensor can detect a change in the sleeping posture of a newborn using an acceleration sensor.

In addition, the heart balloon meter (BCG) and the heartbeat wave (SCG) near the heart can be detected from the output of the fine attitude measuring sensor.

The electrocardiogram sensor can measure the electroencephalogram (ECG) by touching the target area of the newborn.

Here, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is a waveform composed of a vector sum of action potentials generated by a special excitatory & conductive system of the heart. In other words, the SA node (sinoatrial node), the AV node, the atrioventricular node, the His bundle, the bundle branch, and the furkinje fibers A vector sum signal of the generated action potential may be referred to as a signal measured from an electrode attached to the outside of the body.

According to another embodiment, the sensing unit 120 may sense at least one of EEG, EMG, EOG, SCG, and BCG of the neonate It can also be measured.

The sensing unit 140 of the sleep apnea measuring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a sleeping environment sensor for measuring a sleeping environment according to an embodiment, It is possible to measure at least one of noise, light, vibration, temperature and humidity of the sleeping space.

The controller 130 may be configured to selectively supply current to at least one or more selected electrode pairs at the plurality of electrodes, to measure the voltage through the unselected electrodes, and to measure the impedance of the newborn based on the impedance data obtained at the measured voltage Imaging the inside of the chest.

The control unit 130 may include a current injection module 131, a voltage measurement module 132, an image generation module 133, and a control module 134. [

The current injection module 131 may inject a current having a plurality of frequency ranges through at least one selected electrode pair among a plurality of electrodes attached to the chest of a newborn baby.

For example, the current injection module 131 may select a selected electrode pair and frequency, generate a voltage signal according to the selected frequency and convert it into a current, and inject the converted current into the chest of the newborn through selected electrode pairs have.

As another example, the current injection module 131 converts the voltage signal into two currents of different phases, corrects the two currents so that the amplitude and the frequency are the same, and adjusts the two currents calibrated to the chest of the newborn through the selected electrode pair It can also be injected.

The voltage measurement module 132 may measure an induced voltage according to a current injected from the unselected electrodes among the plurality of electrodes.

For example, the voltage measurement module 132 removes the noise included in the detected voltage based on the slope of the measured voltage, and when the slope of the detected voltage exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the threshold value is exceeded Can be replaced with a preset voltage value.

The image generation module 133 can measure the impedance data in the chest based on the measured voltage to image the inside of the chest.

For example, the image generation module 133 acquires the voltage difference signal induced by the injected current through the unselected electrodes among the plurality of electrodes, acquires impedance data according to the circumference of the chest and the electrode position of the newborn baby .

Then, the image generation module 133 may reconstruct the conductivity and the permittivity image of the chest of the newborn with the measured impedance data value, thereby imaging the chest image.

Specifically, since the image generation module 133 has a measurement protocol of a plurality of electrodes for imaging the chest of a newborn baby, sensitivity and resolution according to the position of the chest electrode unit 110 can be controlled. Using the measurement values or combinations thereof using the plurality of measurement protocols and the sensitivity matrix improved in the three-dimensional modeling image generated through the chest electrode unit 110, the conductivity and the permittivity image of the inside of the chest of the newborn, that is, Can generate a chest image.

The control module 134 controls the selection of at least one or more electrode pairs at the plurality of electrodes, controls the selection of the unselected electrodes, controls the sensing of the sensing part 120 in contact with the measurement target part of the newborn baby can do.

The control module 134 may control the current injection module 131 to measure the impedance data of the chest of the newborn baby and may control the sensing unit 120 to measure the bio-signal for the measurement target site of the newborn baby .

The control module 134 monitors the contact state of the electrodes in the chest electrode unit 110 to reduce the possibility of a false alarm due to electrode contact.

In addition, the control module 134 may control at least one of the voltage measurement module 132 and the image generation module 133 to measure the impedance in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the chest of the newborn baby.

In addition, the controller 130 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a communication module 135.

The communication module 135 can transmit health status information according to the apnea symptom of the newborn to the outside.

According to the embodiment, the communication module 135 can transmit the generated protocol packet to the outside through the communication module of the WIFI type. When the communication protocol module 135 exists within a predetermined distance from the server receiving the protocol packet, the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) And transmitted. In addition, according to the embodiment, the communication module 135 can transmit and receive information using a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) or a data communication network in addition to the WIFI and RFID methods.

Accordingly, the control module 134 according to the embodiment of the present invention can provide the guardian with any one of the image, voice, and vibration alarm signals according to the apnea symptom information of the newborn baby through the communication module 135.

More specifically, the control module 134 according to the embodiment of the present invention transmits an alarm signal based on a control command to the communication module (not shown) when the diagnosis result diagnosed by the apnea diagnosis unit 140 is out of a predetermined normal range 135 to the outside.

Also, the control module 134 according to the embodiment of the present invention may control to send a false alarm according to the contact state of the electrodes in the chest electrode unit 110 to the outside.

An electric impedance tomography (EIT) method for obtaining a chest image of a neonate of the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described as follows.

The controller 130 selects a channel and a sinusoidal frequency according to the command and selects a pair of electrodes at the chest electrode unit 110 corresponding to the selected channel. The selected pair of electrodes are used to inject current into the chest of the newborn, and the unselected electrodes are used to measure the voltage on the surface of the newborn.

If the frequency of the channel and sinusoidal wave is selected, the controller 130 outputs a control signal for controlling the FPGA (not shown). The control signal may include information about the selected frequency.

The FPGA receives and stores the control signal, and generates a sinusoidal voltage signal based on the received control signal. In particular, the FPGA generates a voltage signal based on the frequency information included in the control signal, and transmits the generated voltage signal to two 16-bit D / A converters (not shown). At this time, the FPGA controls an 8-bit D / A converter (not shown) to control the full width of the voltage signal transmitted to the 16-bit D / A converter. Thereafter, the voltage signals output to the two 16-bit D / A converters are converted into current by voltage-to-current converters (not shown), and both currents are transmitted to a calibrator (not shown). The calibrator (not shown) regulates both currents so that the amplitude and frequency are the same. Here, the two currents have a phase difference of 180 degrees.

In addition, the control module 134 of the control unit 130 injects current into the chest of the newborn through the current injection module 131 so that the two currents passing through the calibrator are transferred to the selected electrode pairs in the chest electrode unit 110 do.

The current injected around the thoracic region of the newborn induces a voltage of different magnitude on its surface depending on the resistivity or conductivity difference of the internal tissues. When the electrodes not selected in the chest electrode unit 110 sense the surface voltage around the chest circumference of the neonate, the voltage measurement module 132 receives the sensed surface voltage corresponding to the unselected electrodes.

Then, the voltage measurement module 132 determines whether noise is included in the surface voltage data based on the slope of the sensed surface voltage data, and if the noise is included, the voltage measurement module 132 replaces the voltage data with another voltage value. In addition, the control module 134 adjusts the gain of the voltage amplifier (not shown) according to the maximum value of the voltage data. For example, when the maximum value of the voltage data reaches 90% of the maximum output of the A / D converter (not shown), the control module 134 does not adjust the gain of the voltage amplifier, D converter does not reach 90% of the maximum output, the gain of the voltage amplifier is increased.

When the noise is removed from the voltage data and the gain of the voltage amplifier is adjusted, the voltage measurement module 132 amplifies the voltage data according to the adjusted gain value, and the A / D converter converts the voltage data into a digital value.

Then, the image generation module 133 processes the voltage data in consideration of the gain information for each channel based on the channel information and the gain information. If the detected voltage data is used as it is because the gain values are different from each other, it is difficult to accurately express the electrical characteristics of the inside of the chest of the newborn. Therefore, the voltage value should be subtracted or increased according to the gain value. For example, if the gain value is greater than the reference gain value, the corresponding voltage value may be reduced and the ratio of the gain value and the reference gain value may be multiplied by the corresponding voltage value.

Accordingly, the image generation module 133 may process the voltage data in consideration of the gain information for each channel, and then obtain the impedance data using the voltage data.

Then, the image generation module 133 images the inside of the chest of the newborn baby from the impedance data. However, various methods for imaging the inside of the subject (chest) using voltage data of the chest surface of the newborn baby can be applied.

In addition, the image generation module 133 can acquire the appearance information using the optical imaging device and the length measurement device using the markers located on the electrodes to form a three-dimensional reconstruction model according to the shape of the chest of the newborn. A restoration algorithm can be generated.

Here, the restoration algorithm is an algorithm for restoring the three-dimensional image, and an algorithm generally used can be applied.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the apnea diagnosis unit 140 of the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention diagnoses apnea symptoms of a neonate using the imaged chest image and sensed bio signal, And transmits an alarm signal according to the result.

The apnea diagnostic unit 140 may quantify at least one of the change, degree and shape of the lung internal air distribution over time based on the anatomical location of the imaged chest image and the average heart rate and respiratory rate of the newborn.

According to the embodiment, the apnea diagnosis unit 140 classifies the age of the neonate at birth, 6 months, 1 year, 3 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, 10 to 15 years and 15 years or older, , It is possible to diagnose apnea symptoms based on the respiratory rate / minute and the heart rate / minute in the predetermined normal range.

Generally, in the case of a newborn baby, since the heart rate and respiration rate are faster and the amount of change is smaller than that of an adult, the apnea diagnosis unit 140 can acquire a fast and stable signal for a certain period of time, thereby accurately diagnosing apnea symptoms of a newborn baby.

Accordingly, the apnea diagnosis unit 140 can diagnose the apnea symptom using the quantification result in the chest image and the bio-signal sensed from the sensing unit 120. [

In addition, the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a user interface (not shown) to display and provide an alarm signal according to the apnea symptom of the newborn, (Not shown) for providing a warning signal of at least one of sound, vibration, and color change when the result of the determination is out of the preset normal range.

FIG. 2A shows an embodiment of a neonatal apnea measurement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B shows a schematic view of a chest electrode unit.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to the present invention includes a chest electrode unit 110 that can be attached to a chest of a newborn baby, and includes a sensing unit 120 attached to a measurement target site of a newborn baby .

The chest electrode unit 110 attached to the peripheries of the chest of the newborn is formed at a predetermined distance on the base plate and is attached to the chest of the newborn to measure the impedance from the lung shape due to respiration in the sleep state of the newborn .

According to an embodiment, the plurality of electrodes on the thoracic electrode portion 110 may comprise a conductive fiber electrode fabricated from silver (Ag) plated elastic fibers or a PVDF nanofiber web, Therefore, the electrodes may be formed of electrodes made of various materials with little skin reaction for long-time measurement, so the present invention is not limited thereto.

According to another embodiment, the base plate on which the chest electrode unit 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed is not necessarily limited to the shape of the belt-like array electrode. In addition, a chest electrode unit 110 having an arrangement having at least one of a vest shape, a belt shape, and a patch shape is included in consideration of a contact level for increasing the data measurement level while minimizing the feeling of pressure felt by the newborn during natural sleep The base plate can be sufficiently applied.

2A, a plurality of electrodes of the thoracic electrode unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed at regular intervals on a base plate, or may be arranged in various arrangements and structures depending on the characteristics of a measurement target site (chest) . In addition, the base plate may have a predetermined length and width so as to measure the impedance in a state of being wrapped around the measurement target site including the chest or abdomen of a newborn baby, but the length and width may be varied according to the embodiment, It is not.

In addition, the chest electrode unit 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be attached to the chest of a newborn, so that a plurality of electrodes are arranged two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally, Can effectively be measured.

According to the embodiment, the thoracic electrode units 110 formed on the base plate are arranged in a three-dimensional arrangement, and impedance measurement corresponding to each layer is made possible. Thus, A more accurate and effective diagnosis can be achieved.

The sensing unit 120 of the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can sense a living body signal by contacting a measurement target site of a newborn baby.

Since the sensing unit 120 can be in contact with any part of the measurement target site of the newborn baby, the position and the number of the measurement target site to be contacted are not limited to those shown in FIG.

According to an embodiment, the sensing unit 120 may be at least one of a sound sensing sensor, an attitude measuring sensor, and an electrocardiogram measuring sensor, and may be a fiber-based sensor for attaching to a human body of a newborn baby.

The sensing unit of the neonatal apnea measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may measure blood oxygen saturation of a newborn infant by measuring the amount of light transmitted through the peripheral blood vessels at the fingertip or toe using a red light source The sensor can be used to measure the oxygen saturation (SpO ₂ ) signal.

For example, the sensing part is formed in the form of a measuring terminal that fits in the fingertip, and a red LED having a wavelength of 660 nm and an infrared LED having a wavelength of 940 nm are formed in the light emitting part, and a photo diode and a photo transistor And an optical module.

2B, the chest electrode unit 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of electrodes 20, and can be mounted along the peripheries of the chest of a newborn to be measured. To this end, the chest electrode unit 110 includes a base plate 30 (hereinafter referred to as an electrode belt) on which a plurality of electrodes 20 are provided.

Hereinafter, an electrode belt including a plurality of electrodes 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically show a composite electrode employed in the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus shown in FIG. 2B.

Referring again to FIG. 2B, the cable belt 61 is connected to a connector (connector) 22 exposed through an electrode mounting hole 31 to which a plurality of electrodes 20 (hereinafter referred to as composite electrodes) are fixed. At this time, the cable belt 61 may include a plurality of connection cable terminals 61a for injecting a current corresponding to the composite electrode 20.

Accordingly, the voltage measurement module 132 of the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention measures the voltage induced by the current injected into the composite electrode 20 through the cable belt 61. More specifically, current is applied to the plurality of electrodes 20 of the electrode belt 30 mounted on the chest of the newborn while generating a current of a plurality of frequencies through the cable belt 61 to control the size and phase. At this time, the current having the multiple frequencies is injected through the first electrode 21 of the composite electrode 20, and the voltage difference signal induced by the injected current is applied to the second electrode 24 of the composite electrode 20 .

3A, the composite electrode 20 includes a first electrode 21 made of a conductive material for injecting a current, a second electrode 24 made of a conductive material for measuring a voltage, a button 24 connected to the cable belt 61, Shaped connector 22 as shown in Fig. The first electrode 21 injects a current having a relatively large area as compared with the second electrode 24 and the second electrode 24 has a relatively small area as compared with the first electrode 21, And is provided in pairs on the cable electrode 61 and the second electrode 24 of the repeating composite electrode 20.

At this time, the first electrode 21 has a flat plate shape, and the button-shaped connector 22 has a pair of protrusions so as to protrude from the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 24. The first and second electrodes 21 and 24 of each of the plurality of composite electrodes 20 are installed on the electrode belt 30 via a nonconductive material 23 formed of a nonconductive material.

Meanwhile, although the plurality of electrodes 20 is shown as including a composite electrode, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a modification including the simple electrode 20 'as shown in FIG. 3B is also possible. In the case of the simple electrode 20 ', the injection of the electric current or the measurement of the voltage consists of one conductive electrode 21' and is supported by the nonconductive body 22 '.

In addition, the electrodes 20 and 20 'may be made of conductive fibers or conductive polymer materials of flexible material, or may have a dry electrode form.

Figs. 4A to 4D schematically show an electrode belt, and Fig. 4E shows an example in which an electrode belt is attached to a human body of a newborn baby.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the electrode belt 30 is formed of an elastic material, such as a polymer compound such as fiber or silicon, and includes a plurality of electrode mounting holes 31 and a plurality of composite electrodes 20 Can be changed. On the other hand, at both ends of the electrode belt 30, there are provided a pair of fixing parts 32 to be mutually coupled, so that the wound state around the human body of the newborn baby is fixed and held mutually.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode belt 30 is shown as being wrapped around the chest circumference, which is the measurement target site of the newborn baby, and fixed to each other by a Velcro type fixing part 32 provided at both ends. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto, and that the fixing portion 32 can be employed as any one of various fixing means such as a hook type.

4b, the electrode belt 30 includes a contact surface 33 which is provided with a plurality of composite electrodes 20 and contacts a newborn baby and a control unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, (Not shown). At this time, the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 24 of the composite electrode 20 are exposed on the contact surface 33 of the electrode belt 30 and the connector 22 Is exposed through the electrode mounting hole 31. [ The display unit 40 formed of a plurality of colors and patterns corresponding to the information of each of the plurality of composite electrodes 20 is formed on the exposed surface 34 of the electrode belt 30, 20, respectively.

According to the embodiment, the display unit 40, that is, the marker may be formed in a different shape for each composite electrode 20, and may include different channel numbers or data information, The position of the electrode can be confirmed.

Referring to FIG. 4D, the electrode belt 30 may further include a sensing unit 120 attached to a measurement target site of a newborn baby. The sensing unit 120 may be attached to the surface of a newborn baby.

The configuration of the sensing unit 120 has been described above with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A, and therefore will not be described.

Referring to FIG. 4E, the composite electrodes 20 included in the electrode belt are arranged in a three-dimensional array along the circumference of the human body of a newborn baby 1 to be measured, a current is injected through a selected pair of electrodes, It is possible to measure the impedance corresponding to each layer by measuring the applied voltage according to the measurement result, so that a three-dimensional image can be obtained at a specific position (chest).

FIGS. 5A and 5B show changes in measurement data and chest images in the apnea interval.

More specifically, FIG. 5A shows measurement data of pulmonary EIT according to a voltage sensed in a chest of a newborn baby, and measurement data of an optical pulse voltage PPG and a blood oxygen saturation (SpO ₂ ) signal sensed from a sensing part .

5A, the apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to an embodiment of the present invention measures apnea based on measurement data of pulmonary EIT according to the air distribution in the lungs, the measured optically-inductive pulse wave signal and blood oxygen saturation signal, And it is more directly and indirectly detectable than the conventional method using indirect biological signals such as PPG and SpO ₂ .

5B shows a chest image of the imaged neonate in the detected apnea interval.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to the embodiment of the present invention can confirm expiration and inspiration according to the air distribution inside the lung through the chest image.

5A and 5B, an apparatus for measuring neonatal apnea according to an embodiment of the present invention detects an apnea interval based on an imaged chest image, a sensed bio-signal, and a voltage measured from a chest electrode unit, The apnea of the newborn can be more accurately diagnosed based on the air distribution inside the lung in the detected apnea interval.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a neonatal apnea measurement and alarm system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the neonatal apnea measurement system according to the embodiment of the present invention monitors the neonatal apnea symptoms diagnosed by the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 through the external terminal 620.

To this end, the neonatal apnea measurement system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a neonatal apnea measurement device 610 and an external terminal 620.

The neonatal apnea measurement device 610 of the neonatal apnea measurement system according to the embodiment of the present invention can transmit and receive data or control commands to the guardian terminal 620a and the external server 620b via the network.

For example, the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 may transmit the results of the neonatal apnea symptom in real time to the guardian terminal 620a or the external server 620b, and the guardian terminal 620a or the external server 620b may transmit the results of the neonatal At least any one of the apnea symptom, the chest image, and the obtained impedance data can be monitored in real time.

According to the embodiment, at least one of the apnea symptom of the newborn, the chest image and the obtained impedance data may be stored in an external database.

6, the guardian terminal 620a receives impedance data measured from a plurality of electrodes attached to the periphery of the chest of a newborn baby in real time from the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 according to an embodiment of the present invention, It is possible to receive bio-signals, and to monitor the chest image and neonatal apnea symptoms in real time.

For example, the caregiver terminal 620a compares at least one of apnea symptoms, chest image, and acquired impedance data of the neonate received from the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 based on a predetermined normal range, And may output at least one of a number, a percentage, an image, a figure, a graph, a message, and a voice. In some embodiments, the notification signal may include at least one of a warning message, an alarm, voice, light and vibration.

According to the embodiment, the guardian terminal 620a can control the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 based on the control command input from the guardian.

For example, the caregiver terminal 620a monitors at least one of the apnea symptom of the newborn, the chest image, and the acquired impedance data received from the neonatal apnea measurement device 610, and the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 A control command including at least one of operation (On / Off), change of the biosignal detection period, change of the impedance data calculation period, and change of the communication period can be generated and transmitted.

According to the embodiment, the guardian terminal 620a may be at least one of a terminal, a smart phone, a tablet PC, a wearable device, and a PC held by a guardian of a newborn baby, and the terminal is not limited thereto.

Also, the external terminal 620 including the guardian terminal 620a and the external server 620b may include an application processor for data transmission / reception, control command generation and display.

The detailed description of the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 in FIG. 6 has been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B, and therefore will not be described.

6, the external server 620b comprehensively manages the results of the neonatal apnea symptom received from the neonatal apnea measurement device 610 or the protector terminal 620a, analyzes the neonatal apnea symptoms, and transmits it to the protector terminal 620a ). ≪ / RTI >

In addition, the external server 620b can provide newborn's apnea symptoms to doctors, nurses, pharmacists and administrators managing the health of the newborn baby, and provide real-time services for the neonatal health care and prevention to the caregiver terminal 620a It is possible.

However, since the external server 620b can provide a service for managing a variety of neonatal apnea symptoms in addition to the above-mentioned services, and can establish a database or communicate with another external server, It is not.

According to an embodiment, the external server 620b may be at least one of a sleep management server, a neonatal health care server, a data integration server, a disease diagnosis server, and a monitoring server.

7 shows an example of monitoring neonatal apnea symptoms.

Referring to FIG. 7, the protector can monitor the apnea symptom of the newborn baby from the information that is pushed through the application installed in the terminal having the protector.

For example, the neonatal apnea measuring device may transmit an urgent message to the guardian terminal when the detected neonatal apnea symptoms are out of a predetermined normal range.

According to the embodiment, the emergency message may be transmitted as a message as shown in FIG. 7, but may be provided to the guardian through an output signal of at least one of alarm, vibration, and light.

The guardian terminal shown in FIG. 7 may have an application for various application functions, and may communicate with an external server or a neonatal apnea measurement device using an application installed in the terminal. Therefore, the guardian terminal may refer to an application installed in the terminal.

In addition, the example of monitoring the apnea symptom of the neonate shown in FIG. 7 can be performed based on the preference of the caregiver or the user, but since more various examples can be applied to provide the neonate's apnea symptom in real time to the caregiver, It is not.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring apnea symptoms in a neonate using the neonatal apnea measurement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, in step 810, current is selectively supplied to at least one or more selected pairs of electrodes at a plurality of electrodes attached along the peritoneal girth of the newborn.

Step 810 may include selecting a selected electrode pair and a frequency of the plurality of electrodes, generating a voltage signal according to the selected different frequency, converting the voltage signal into a current, and injecting a current into the chest of the newborn through selected electrode pairs have.

In step 820, the voltage is measured through the unselected electrodes of the plurality of electrodes.

Imaging the interior of the chest based on the impedance data obtained at the voltage measured at step 830.

Step 830 acquires a voltage difference signal induced by the injected current through unselected electrodes among a plurality of electrodes and acquires impedance data according to the chest circumference and the electrode position of the newborn to image the inside of the chest have.

In step 840, the biological signal is sensed by contacting the measurement target site of the newborn baby.

The neonatal apnea symptom is diagnosed using the quantified result of the chest image imaged in step 850 and the sensed bio-signal.

According to an embodiment, step 850 may be a step of outputting at least one warning signal of sound, vibration and color change when the diagnosis result is out of a preset normal range.

According to another embodiment, step 850 may be a step of transmitting an alert signal to the external terminal when the diagnosis result is out of a preset normal range.

The method according to an embodiment may be implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions to be recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the embodiments or may be available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magnetic media such as floppy disks; Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. For example, it is to be understood that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, Lt; / RTI > or equivalents, even if it is replaced or replaced.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (13)

A chest electrode unit formed with a plurality of electrodes for current injection and voltage sensing and attached along the peripheries of the chest of a newborn to be measured;
A sensing unit for sensing a biological signal in contact with the measurement target site of the newborn baby;
A control signal is output to an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) to selectively supply a current to at least one selected pair of electrodes in the plurality of electrodes, to measure a voltage through unselected electrodes, A controller for imaging the inside of the chest of the newborn baby based on the impedance data obtained in the neonatal baby; And
Diagnosing an apnea symptom of the neonate by analyzing the quantified result of the imaged chest image and the sensed bio signal, and when the diagnosis result is out of a preset normal range, a control command based alarm signal and an apnea diagnosis unit
Lt; / RTI >
The FPGA
The digital signal processor generates a voltage signal based on the frequency information included in the control signal, transmits the generated voltage signal to each of the two 16-bit digital-analog converters, Converting each of the converted currents into currents using voltage-to-current converters, adjusting the amplitudes and frequencies to be the same by transmitting the converted respective currents to the calibrator,
The control unit
Each current passing through the calibrator is selectively supplied to the at least one selected pair of electrodes,
The sensing unit
A blood oxygen saturation measuring sensor for measuring a PPG (Photoplethysmography) signal of the human body according to the measurement target region of the newborn baby and measuring a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal based on the measured optical VF signal, And an electrocardiogram measuring sensor for measuring an electrocardiogram of the measurement target region, wherein the electrocardiogram measuring sensor comprises:
The apnea diagnosis unit
Quantifying at least one of a change, an extent, and a shape of lung internal air distribution over time based on the imaged chest image,
Through the integrated analysis of the quantified results in the imaged chest image and the measured optically-induced pulse wave signal, the measured blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal, the sensed sound, the sensed motion, and the measured electrocardiogram Diagnosing the neonatal apnea symptom,
And transmits the alarm signal based on at least one of the respiration rate and the heart rate in the predetermined normal range corresponding to the classified age standard.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
A current injection module for injecting each current passed through the calibrator having a plurality of frequency ranges through at least one selected electrode pair among the plurality of electrodes attached to the chest of the newborn;
A voltage measuring module for measuring an induced voltage according to the injected current from unselected electrodes among the plurality of electrodes; And
An imaging module for imaging the inside of the chest by measuring the impedance data on the chest based on the measured voltage;
A neonatal apnea measuring device.
delete 3. The method of claim 2,
The control unit
A control module for controlling the selection of at least one pair of electrodes in the plurality of electrodes and for controlling the sensing of the sensing part in contact with the measurement target part of the newborn baby,
And a neonatal apnea measuring device.
delete delete The method according to claim 1,
The plurality of electrodes
Wherein at least one of a simple electrode and a composite electrode is arranged on one surface of a base plate made of a flexible elastic material and attached to the chest.
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) outputs a control signal to selectively supply a current to at least one selected pair of electrodes on a plurality of electrodes attached along the periphery of the chest of a newborn, The imaging of the inside of the chest according to the distribution of air in the lungs of the newborn baby from the impedance data obtained by the measurement is performed and the result of quantification in the imaged chest image and the integrated analysis of the sensed bio- A neonatal apnea measurement device for diagnosing an apnea symptom of the newborn infant and transmitting an alarm signal based on a control command when the diagnosis result is out of a predetermined normal range; And
An alarm signal according to the diagnosis result, and an external terminal for monitoring the apnea state of the newborn baby by receiving any one of the chest image,
Lt; / RTI >
The FPGA
The digital signal processor generates a voltage signal based on the frequency information included in the control signal, transmits the generated voltage signal to each of the two 16-bit digital-analog converters, Converting each of the converted currents into currents using voltage-to-current converters, adjusting the amplitudes and frequencies to be the same by transmitting the converted respective currents to the calibrator,
The neonatal apnea measuring device
Each current passing through the calibrator is selectively supplied to the at least one selected pair of electrodes,
A blood oxygen saturation measuring sensor for measuring a PPG (Photoplethysmography) signal of the human body according to the measurement target region of the newborn baby and measuring a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal based on the measured optical VF signal, Sensing an organism signal from an electrocardiogram measuring sensor for measuring an electrocardiogram of the measurement target region, and outputting a result of sensing the bio-
And quantifying at least one of a change, an extent, and a shape of the lung internal air distribution with time based on the imaged chest image,
Through the integrated analysis of the quantified results in the imaged chest image and the measured optically-induced pulse wave signal, the measured blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal, the sensed sound, the sensed motion, and the measured electrocardiogram Diagnosing the neonatal apnea symptom,
And transmits the alert signal based on at least one of the respiratory rate and the heart rate in the predetermined normal range corresponding to the classified age standard.
9. The method of claim 8,
The neonatal apnea measuring device
A chest electrode unit formed with the plurality of electrodes for current injection and voltage sensing and attached along the peripheries of the chest of the newborn to be measured;
A sensing unit for sensing a biological signal in contact with the measurement target site of the newborn baby;
Outputting a control signal to the FPGA to selectively supply a current to at least one or more selected electrode pairs at the plurality of electrodes, measure a voltage through unselected electrodes, A controller for imaging the inside of the chest according to the air distribution of the lungs of the newborn baby based on the data; And
Diagnosing an apnea symptom of the newborn infant through the result of quantification of the imaged chest image and the integrated analysis of the sensed bio-signal, and outputting an alarm signal based on a control command when the diagnosis result is out of a predetermined normal range alarm)
Lt; / RTI >
The control unit
Each current passing through the calibrator is selectively supplied to the at least one selected pair of electrodes,
The sensing unit
A blood oxygen saturation measuring sensor for measuring a PPG (Photoplethysmography) signal of the human body according to the measurement target region of the newborn baby and measuring a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal based on the measured optical VF signal, And an electrocardiogram measuring sensor for measuring an electrocardiogram of the measurement target region, wherein the electrocardiogram measuring sensor comprises:
The apnea diagnosis unit
Quantifying at least one of a change, an extent, and a shape of lung internal air distribution over time based on the imaged chest image,
Through the integrated analysis of the quantified results in the imaged chest image and the measured optically-induced pulse wave signal, the measured blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal, the sensed sound, the sensed motion, and the measured electrocardiogram Diagnosing the neonatal apnea symptom,
And transmits the alert signal based on at least one of the respiratory rate and the heart rate in the predetermined normal range corresponding to the classified age standard.
9. The method of claim 8,
The external terminal
A neonatal apnea measurement system that is controlled through an application installed on a parent terminal that is authorized to use.
A method for measuring apnea of a neonate using a neonatal apnea measuring device,
Outputting a control signal to an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) to selectively supply current to at least one selected pair of electrodes in a plurality of electrodes attached along the peripheries of the chest of a newborn;
Measuring a voltage through unselected electrodes of the plurality of electrodes;
Imaging the interior of the chest based on impedance data obtained at the measured voltage;
Sensing a biological signal in contact with the measurement target site of the newborn baby; And
Determining whether or not a predetermined normal range is reached through a result of quantification of the imaged chest image and an integrated analysis of the sensed bio-signal, and outputting an alarm signal based on a control command ≪ / RTI >
Lt; / RTI >
The FPGA
The digital signal processor generates a voltage signal based on the frequency information included in the control signal, transmits the generated voltage signal to each of the two 16-bit digital-analog converters, Converting each of the converted currents into currents using voltage-to-current converters, adjusting the amplitudes and frequencies to be the same by transmitting the converted respective currents to the calibrator,
The step of selectively supplying the current
Each current passing through the calibrator is selectively supplied to the at least one selected pair of electrodes,
The step of sensing the bio-
A blood oxygen saturation measuring sensor for measuring a PPG (Photoplethysmography) signal of the human body according to the measurement target region of the newborn baby and measuring a blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal based on the measured optical VF signal, Sensing an organism signal through an electrocardiogram measuring sensor for measuring an electrocardiogram of the measurement target site, and a sound sensor for sensing a sound according to a biological activity of the newborn baby,
The step of transmitting the alarm signal
Quantifying at least one of a change, an extent, and a shape of lung internal air distribution over time based on the imaged chest image,
Through the integrated analysis of the quantified results in the imaged chest image and the measured optically-induced pulse wave signal, the measured blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal, the sensed sound, the sensed motion, and the measured electrocardiogram Diagnosing the neonatal apnea symptom,
Classifying the age of the newborn infant according to a predetermined age standard and transmitting the alarm signal based on at least one of the respiration rate and the heart rate in the predetermined normal range corresponding to the classified age standard.
delete 12. A computer program stored in a computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 11.

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