US 12,390,157 B2
Method and apparatus for the measurement of autonomic function for the diagnosis and validation of patient treatments and outcomes
Deborah Dullen, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Filed by Deborah Dullen, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Filed on Feb. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/114,375.
Application 18/114,375 is a division of application No. 16/458,130, filed on Jun. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,653,877.
Application 16/458,130 is a division of application No. 14/992,016, filed on Jan. 10, 2016, granted, now 10,376,203, issued on Aug. 13, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/101,992, filed on Jan. 10, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0240596 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/0205 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/4824 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0024 (2013.01); A61B 5/02055 (2013.01); A61B 5/4848 (2013.01); A61B 5/6831 (2013.01); A61B 5/6832 (2013.01); A61B 2562/063 (2013.01); A61B 2562/066 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of quantitatively measuring pain matrix activity comprising:
accessing a non-transitory computer readable medium within a network of central processing units having memory and data storage and having embodied thereon one or more computer programs causing one or more of the central processing units to execute certain steps of:
accessing data acquired over a period of time from data output from contralateral sensors configured to measure pain matrix activity of an individual, the data acquired without the individual experiencing a noxious stimulus;
determining an average of the measured pain matrix activity acquired over the period of time as the individual's baseline pain matrix response levels, the average of pain matrix activity over time capable of providing an indicator of chronic pain; and
displaying the average of the measured pain matrix activity as a visually perceptible element configured to provide an indicator of chronic pain;
accessing data acquired over a period of time from data output from the contralateral sensors configured to measure pain matrix activity of the individual, the data acquired during the application of a noxious stimulus to the individual;
determining an average of the measured pain matrix activity acquired over the period of time during the application of the noxious stimulus as a noxious stimulus baseline of the pain matrix activity of the individual;
identifying the difference in the average of the individual's baseline pain matrix response levels to the average of the noxious stimulus baseline of the pain matrix activity, the difference in the average of pain matrix activity providing an indication of a change in pain matrix activity;
displaying the difference in the average of the measured pain matrix activity as a visually perceptible element;
identifying at least one deflection from the individual's baseline pain matrix response level at the point in time of at least one noxious stimulus;
determining a delta at the point in time of the at least one deflection as the difference in the pain matrix activity measured prior to the noxious stimulus and the pain matrix activity measured at the point in time of the noxious stimulus, the delta capable of representing the level of the increase in pain from the at least one noxious stimulus;
displaying the delta as a visually perceptible element indicating a pain score at the point in time of the at least one noxious stimulus, the pain score configured to represent the change in pain state related to acute pain, the pain score analogous to the currently used standard scales for self-report of pain.