US 12,329,974 B2
Photoplethysmography in combination with medical devices
Brian Mech, Buffalo, MN (US); and Robert Greenberg, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to THE ALFRED E. MANN FOUNDATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Valencia, CA (US)
Filed by The Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research, Valencia, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/692,761.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/159,840, filed on Mar. 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0288398 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01); A61N 1/362 (2006.01); A61N 1/365 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/36585 (2013.01) [A61N 1/36031 (2017.08); A61N 1/3606 (2013.01); A61N 1/36139 (2013.01); A61N 1/36171 (2013.01); A61N 1/36175 (2013.01); A61N 1/36178 (2013.01); A61N 1/36192 (2013.01); A61N 1/3625 (2013.01); A61N 1/3627 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for delivering therapy to treat a medical condition of a human subject, comprising:
a photoplethysmography (“PPG”) sensor configured to detect, measure, and/or monitor a first biomarker parameter of the subject, wherein the first biomarker parameter comprises data indicative of one or more of an oxygen saturation level, a heart rate, a respiration rate, a stroke volume, a cardiac output, a pulse pressure, a systemic vascular resistance, an arterial pressure, or a cardiac index, of the human subject;
at least one additional sensor configured to detect, measure, and/or monitor one or more secondary biomarker parameters of the subject, wherein the secondary biomarker parameters comprise data indicative of a body temperature, an activity and/or body position, a presence or level of sweat on skin, or a single-electrode or low electrode count electrocardiogram (“ECG”), of the human subject; and
a treatment device comprising a stimulator configured to administer electrical stimulation to at least one nerve of the human subject associated with upper airway patency, and a controller configured to control the stimulator;
wherein the controller is further configured to
determine an apnea-hypopnea index (“AHI”), body position, and sleep stage of the human subject based on the first biomarker parameter and the secondary biomarker parameters,
determine whether the human subject is experiencing an onset or worsening of sleep-disordered breathing (“SDB”) based on the determined AHI, body position, and sleep stage of the human subject, or a change in the determined AHI, body position, and/or sleep stage of the human subject compared to historical data, and
cause the stimulator to switch to a higher-intensity treatment mode in response to determining that the subject is experiencing an onset or worsening of SDB.