KR20230149601A - A chest wall vibrating vest that controls a vibrating part based on ppg sensor information and a control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor that is electrically connected to the chest wall vibration vest and is capable of obtaining blood flow information, and exhalation is performed based on the blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor. A control unit set to determine whether the state or the intake state is in the state and generate a control signal to vibrate a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest based on the determination of the state, and obtain a control signal from the control unit to control the chest wall vibration vest. It may include a vibrating unit that vibrates a plurality of different positions.

Description

Chest wall vibration vest and control method thereof for controlling the vibrating part based on PPG sensor information {A CHEST WALL VIBRATING VEST THAT CONTROLS A VIBRATING PART BASED ON PPG SENSOR INFORMATION AND A CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a chest wall vibration vest that controls a vibration unit based on PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor information and a control method for controlling the chest wall vibration vest.

Sputum is a secretion that occurs in the lungs or respiratory tract and is excreted as a mixture of complex impurities such as bacteria, dust, and inflammation.

Under normal conditions, sputum plays a role in protecting the human body's bronchial tubes, but when secretions increase or viscosity increases due to factors such as mucus type or concentration, sputum accumulates in the bronchial tubes, and the accumulated sputum can cause bronchial bacterial infection. Therefore, it must be removed.

If the patient's health is weakened and it is difficult to breathe on his own, such as in the case of patients with pneumonia or sepsis, sputum must be removed with the help of an external device.

High-frequency chest wall vibration therapy is a procedure that replaces the existing chest physical therapy method, which manually applies positional positioning, percussion, and vibration, with a device.

A person may be placed in a chest wall vibrating vest to remove sputum. Existing chest wall vibration vests have the problem of not being able to efficiently discharge sputum because they apply continuous vibration without distinguishing between inspiration and expiration.

In addition, the standard chest wall vibrating vest stimulates the entire chest cage, so it cannot be applied while assuming a posture for positional abdominal therapy, and there is a problem in that it cannot selectively stimulate the air passages that actually require stimulation.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0035002 (2007.03.29)

There is a need for a device that can vibrate separate areas of the chest wall vibration vest by distinguishing between inspiration and expiration. Additionally, there is a need for a device that can acquire blood flow information and vibrate selective areas of the chest wall vibrating vest to stimulate the lungs. Additionally, there is a need for a device that can obtain more oxygen saturation information and operate in a breathing assistance mode when the patient's oxygen saturation drops while expelling sputum, slowly compressing the lungs during exhalation and helping expand the lungs during inspiration.

The chest wall vibration vest according to one embodiment includes a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor that is electrically connected to the chest wall vibration vest and can acquire blood flow information, and determines the expiratory or inspiratory state based on the blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor. A control unit set to determine whether the state is present and generate a control signal to vibrate a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest based on the determination of whether the state is present, and a control unit configured to obtain a control signal from the control unit to generate a control signal to vibrate a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest. It may include a vibrating unit that vibrates the position.

Additionally, the control signal may be set to adjust the vibration frequency or vibration intensity of the vibration unit.

In addition, the control unit is set to obtain blood flow information from the PPG sensor, determine a position where vibration is required among a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest, and transmit a control signal to vibrate the position where vibration is required to the vibration unit. It can be.

Additionally, the control signal may be set to generate vibration of 5 to 20 Hz in the exhalation state and to generate vibration of a lower frequency than the exhalation state in the inhalation state.

Additionally, the PPG sensor may further obtain oxygen saturation information, and the control unit may generate the control signal based on the blood flow information and the oxygen saturation information obtained from the PPG sensor.

In addition, based on the oxygen saturation information, the control unit lowers the intensity of vibration in the inhalation state and sends a breathing assistance mode signal to the vibration unit to control the chest wall vibration vest so that air can be quickly discharged in the exhalation state. It can be set to transmit.

A method for controlling a chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment includes obtaining blood flow information from a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor electrically connected to the chest wall vibration vest, and determining whether the inspiratory state or the expiratory state is based on the blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor. It may include transmitting a control signal to a vibration unit that vibrates a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest based on the determination of the state.

The chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention can generate vibration of the chest wall vibration vest suitable for the patient's current condition by distinguishing between inspiration and exhalation and adjusting the vibration frequency and vibration intensity of the chest wall vibration vest. Additionally, intervention can be selectively performed on the lung region through selective control depending on the lung region. Therefore, the chest wall vibration vest according to one embodiment can enable the patient's sputum to be discharged efficiently.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention.

1 is a front view and a back view of the vibration area division of the chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram of mounting a PPG sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flowchart of chest wall vibration vest control according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a chest wall vibration vest by further considering oxygen saturation information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a block diagram of a chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. The terms used in the detailed description are merely for describing embodiments of the present invention and should in no way be construed as limiting. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, singular forms include plural meanings. In this description, expressions such as “comprising” or “comprising” are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and one or more than those described. It should not be construed to exclude the existence or possibility of any other characteristic, number, step, operation, element, or part or combination thereof.

In each system shown in the drawings, elements in some cases may each have the same reference number or different reference numbers, suggesting that the elements represented may be different or similar. However, elements may operate with any or all of the systems shown or described herein with different implementations. Various elements shown in the drawings may be the same or different. Which is called the first element and which is called the second element is arbitrary.

In this specification, 'connected' should be understood to include not only components being directly connected, but also other components being combined therebetween.

In this specification, when one component 'transmits' or 'provides' data or signals to another component, it means that one component transmits data or signals directly to another component, as well as at least one other component. It involves transmitting data or signals to another component through another component.

All or some steps of the method for controlling a chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented by one physical or logical computing device, or may be implemented distributedly by two or more physical or logical computing devices.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The detailed description below is provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices and/or systems described herein. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

1 is a front view and a back view of the vibration area division of the chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram of mounting a PPG sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 1, the front of the vibration area of the chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention is divided into the upper left part 110, the middle left part 130, and the lower left part based on the area of the human lung ( 150), the upper right part 120, the middle right part 140, and the lower right part 160. Referring to (b) of FIG. 1, the rear of the vibration area of the chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention may be divided into an upper lobe 170 and a lower lobe 180 based on the area of the human lung.

The vibration area of the chest wall vibration vest described above is an example, and the vibration area of the present invention is not limited to the illustration and division in FIG. 1. For example, the vibration area of another chest wall vibration vest that can efficiently help a patient expel sputum should be construed as being included in the spirit of the present invention.

According to one embodiment, the above-mentioned vibration area may be set so that an area that can efficiently discharge the patient's sputum can be selectively stimulated depending on whether the patient's inhalation or exhalation state is based on the patient's blood flow information.

According to one embodiment, the vibrating unit of the chest wall vibrating vest may stimulate the patient's chest by vibrating a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibrating vest.

PPG (Photoplethysmogram) sensor is a sensor that can observe blood flow using light, and can obtain blood flow information by observing pulse waves.

When the heart pumps blood throughout the body, subtle changes occur in the blood vessels. Subtle changes in blood vessels are called pulse waves, and by observing changes in pulse waves, you can obtain information about the state of the body, such as the circulatory system, heart, and blood vessel conditions.

The PPG sensor can measure the above-mentioned pulse wave and can measure the amount of light absorbed by measuring the amount of light emitted from an LED (light emitting diode) reflected from blood vessels. The PPG sensor can obtain various information about the state of the body through the amount of light absorbed.

According to one embodiment, the PPG sensor can be placed on a person's finger to obtain blood flow information and transmit it to the control unit.

According to one embodiment, the above-described PPG sensor can acquire blood flow information and transmit the sensing information to the control unit of the chest wall vibrating vest, and the control unit can determine the inhalation state and the exhalation state from the blood flow information. Additionally, the control unit may generate a control signal to selectively vibrate each region of the chest wall vibration vest, which is divided into regions of the human lung, depending on whether the inhalation state or the exhalation state is present, and transmit the control signal to the vibrating unit.

According to one embodiment, the control unit selects the vibration area of the chest wall vibration vest that can efficiently discharge the patient's sputum according to the determination of whether the patient's inhalation or exhalation state is based on the patient's blood flow information and transmits the vibration signal to the vibration unit. You can.

For example, the plurality of vibration areas of the chest wall vibrating vest can be divided into the upper lobe, middle lobe, and lower lobe to enable positional abdominal therapy.

Referring to Figure 2, the PPG sensor 210 electrically connected to the chest wall vibration vest of the present invention can be mounted on a person's finger. Additionally, the PPG sensor 210 can further obtain oxygen saturation information.

The PPG sensor 210 can obtain changes in blood flow by emitting infrared rays and red light, and can obtain blood oxygen saturation information by acquiring changes in blood flow. The PPG sensor 210 can obtain oxygen saturation information based on the difference in light absorption between oxyhemoglobin bound to red blood cells and hemoglobin not bound to oxygen, and transmit the oxygen saturation information to the control unit.

Figure 3 is a flowchart of chest wall vibration vest control according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a chest wall vibration vest by further considering oxygen saturation information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the chest wall vibration vest control method according to an embodiment includes the steps of acquiring blood flow information from the PPG sensor (310), determining the state of exhalation or inspiration based on the blood flow information (320), and determining whether the state is present. It may include a step 330 of transmitting a control signal to the vibrating unit based on the control signal.

The step 310 of acquiring blood flow information from the PPG sensor is a step in which the control unit acquires the patient's blood flow information sensing data from the PPG sensor mounted on the person's finger.

In step 320 of determining the exhalation or inspiration state based on blood flow information, the control unit determines the patient's exhalation or inspiration state based on the blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor.

Judging the expiratory state or inspiratory state is, for example, based on periodic changes in heart rate related to breathing. During inhalation, the control unit obtains information on blood flow changed according to the increased heart rate, and during exhalation, it obtains information on blood flow changed according to the decreased heart rate to determine breathing. Status can be determined.

The step 330 of transmitting a control signal to the vibrating unit based on the status determination is a step in which the control unit transmits a control signal changed according to exhalation or inspiration to the vibrating unit.

According to one embodiment, after determining the exhalation state and the inhalation state, the control unit transmits a vibration signal that generates vibration of 5 to 20 Hz during exhalation to the vibration unit, and instructs the control unit to operate in a soft vibration mode with reduced vibration frequency and pressure during inhalation. A control signal can be transmitted to the vibration unit.

According to one embodiment, the control unit may transmit a control signal to the vibrating unit to selectively vibrate the upper, middle, and lower parts of the chest wall vibration vest divided in FIG. 1 based on determination of whether the chest wall is in an exhalation state or an inhalation state.

According to one embodiment, in addition to controlling the vibration unit according to the determination of whether the exhalation state or the inhalation state is in the exhalation state, the control unit may determine the location where vibration is required on the divided area of the chest wall vibration vest based on blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor, and vibrate. A control signal to vibrate this required position can be transmitted to the vibrating unit.

Since the existing chest wall vibrator stimulates the entire chest cage, the posture for postural abdominal therapy cannot be applied to the chest wall vibrator, and there is a problem in that it cannot selectively stimulate the area where the actual air passage should be stimulated.

According to the method of controlling the chest wall vibrating vest according to an embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the vibrating part of the chest wall vibrating vest can be vibrated with the frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration pressure changed depending on the inhalation or exhalation state, thereby ensuring efficient sputum discharge from the patient. It may be possible.

According to one embodiment, the control unit is configured to merge and manually adjust the operating modes: ① full mode, ② left upper lobe mode, ③ right upper lobe mode, ④ middle lobe mode (right), ⑤ lingual lobe mode (left), ⑥ posterior upper lobe mode, ⑦ posterior lower lobe mode. It can be set to transmit a control signal that controls the vibrating unit in a lobe-divided mode.

Referring to FIG. 4, a method of controlling a chest wall vibrating vest in further consideration of oxygen saturation information according to an embodiment includes obtaining oxygen saturation information from a PPG sensor (410) and receiving a control signal based on blood flow information and oxygen saturation information. It may include a step 420 of generating .

According to one embodiment, oxygen saturation information can be obtained by attaching a PPG sensor to a finger, as shown in FIG. 2.

By comparing the light absorption of oxygenated hemoglobin and non-oxygenated hemoglobin bound to red blood cells in the body, information on oxygen saturation in the body can be obtained. When obtaining oxygen saturation information, the difference in light absorption can be measured using green light, which is easily absorbed by red blood cells.

According to one embodiment, the control unit obtains oxygen saturation information from the PPG sensor, and when the oxygen saturation limit point (e.g., Spo2 88%) is determined, a signal operating in a breathing assistance mode may be transmitted to the vibration unit. For example, the breathing assistance mode may be an operation mode that creates gentle vibration during inhalation and allows air to be quickly exhaled with 1-2HZ vibration during exhalation. That is, the control unit can generate a control signal with a differentiated control mode and transmit it to the vibration unit so that the chest wall vibration vest can perform the breathing assistance technique used in respiratory rehabilitation.

According to the method of controlling the chest wall vibrating vest by further considering the oxygen saturation information according to FIG. 4, it is possible to prevent the problem of breathing difficulties due to a decrease in the patient's oxygen saturation during the operation of the chest wall vibrating vest.

Figure 5 is a block diagram of a chest wall vibration vest according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The chest wall vibration vest according to one embodiment may include a control unit 520, a memory 530, a PPG sensor 210, and a vibration unit 550. The control unit may consist of at least one processor, but is not limited thereto and may include various computing devices capable of physically or logically performing computing operations.

The sensor has been described using the PPG sensor 210 as an example, but the sensor is not limited thereto. According to one embodiment, various sensors that can measure minute changes in heat flow that change according to pulse waves may be used. According to one embodiment, the PPG sensor 210 may convert information on the amount of light absorbed depending on changes in blood flow into an electrical signal and transmit it to the control unit 520. According to one embodiment, the PPG sensor 210 may be operatively coupled to the control unit 520.

According to one embodiment, the memory 530 may store various data used by the sensor and/or control unit 520 of the chest wall vibration vest. Data may include input data or output data for software and instructions related thereto. For example, the memory 530 may include hardware components for storing data and/or instructions input and/or output to the control unit 520. The memory 530 may include, for example, volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM) and/or non-volatile memory such as read-only memory (ROM). Volatile memory may include, for example, at least one of Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Static RAM (SRAM), Cache RAM, and Pseudo SRAM (PSRAM). According to one embodiment, the memory 530 may be operatively coupled to the control unit 520.

According to one embodiment, the control unit 520 acquires blood flow information from a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor 210 electrically connected to the chest wall vibration vest, and determines the state of inspiration or blood flow based on the blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor 210. Executing a chest wall vibration vest control method comprising determining whether the exhalation state is present and transmitting a control signal to a vibration unit 550 that vibrates a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest based on the determination of the state. It can be set to do so.

According to one embodiment, the control unit 520 is electrically or operably or operatively connected to components of an electronic device (e.g., PPG sensor 210 and memory 530) that controls the chest wall vibration vest. ) can be coupled with or connected to. The control unit 520 may control the overall operation of the chest wall vibration vest. In one embodiment, the control unit 520 may include one processor core (single core) or may include a plurality of processor cores. For example, the control unit 520 may include multi-core, such as dual-core, quad-core, or hexa-core. Depending on embodiments, the control unit 520 may further include a cache memory located inside or outside the memory.

According to one embodiment, as at least part of data processing or calculation, the control unit 520 stores commands or data received from other components (e.g., PPG sensor 210) in volatile memory, and stores the commands or data stored in the volatile memory. can be processed, and the resulting data can be stored in non-volatile memory.

Methods according to embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, elements included in the disclosure are expressed in singular or plural numbers depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components, and even components expressed in plural may be composed of singular or singular. Even expressed components may be composed of plural elements.

The description of the present invention described above is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Claims (7)

A chest wall vibrating vest that vibrates the chest wall,
A PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor electrically connected to the chest wall vibration vest to obtain blood flow information;
A control unit configured to determine whether an expiratory state or an inspiratory state is present based on blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor and generate a control signal to vibrate a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest based on the determination of the state; and
a vibration unit that obtains a control signal from the control unit and vibrates a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest; Including,
Chest wall vibration vest.
According to paragraph 1,
The control signal is,
Set to adjust the vibration frequency or vibration intensity of the vibration unit,
Chest wall vibration vest.
According to paragraph 1,
The control unit acquires blood flow information from the PPG sensor, determines a position where vibration is required among a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest, and transmits a control signal to vibrate the position where vibration is required to the vibration unit.
Chest wall vibration vest.
According to paragraph 1,
The control signal is,
In the exhalation state, it is set to generate vibration of 5 to 20 Hz, and in the inhalation state, it is set to generate vibration of a lower frequency than the exhalation state,
Chest wall vibration vest.
According to paragraph 1,
The PPG sensor further acquires oxygen saturation information,
The control unit,
Generating the control signal based on the blood flow information and the oxygen saturation information obtained from the PPG sensor,
Chest wall vibration vest.
According to clause 5,
The control unit transmits a breathing assistance mode signal to the vibration unit to control the chest wall vibration vest to lower the intensity of vibration in the inhalation state based on the oxygen saturation information and to quickly discharge air in the exhalation state. doing,
Chest wall vibration vest.
Obtaining blood flow information from a PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor electrically connected to the chest wall vibrating vest;
determining whether the inhalation state or the exhalation state is based on the blood flow information obtained from the PPG sensor; and
Transmitting a control signal to a vibration unit that vibrates a plurality of different positions of the chest wall vibration vest based on the determination of the state; Including,
Chest wall vibrating vest control method.