CPC A61B 5/0537 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0531 (2013.01); A61B 5/445 (2013.01); A61B 5/447 (2013.01); A61B 5/4875 (2013.01); A61B 5/6801 (2013.01); A61B 5/7278 (2013.01); A61B 5/742 (2013.01); A61B 5/746 (2013.01); A61B 5/6843 (2013.01); A61B 2560/0468 (2013.01); A61B 2562/046 (2013.01)] | 30 Claims |
1. An apparatus for identifying sub-epidermal moisture (SEM), said apparatus comprising:
a) one or more sensors configured for emitting and receiving (i) a target signal into tissue at a target location of a subject and (ii) a plurality of non-target signals into non-target tissue locations adjacent to said target location of said subject, b) a circuit electronically coupled to said one or more sensors and configured to convert said target signal into a target SEM value and said plurality of non-target signals into a plurality of non-target SEM values;
c) a processor electronically coupled to said circuit and configured to receive said target SEM value and said plurality of non-target SEM values; and
d) a non-transitory computer readable medium electronically coupled to said processor and comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed on said processor, perform:
i) receiving from said processor said target SEM value, said plurality of non-target SEM values, said target location, and said non-target tissue locations;
ii) determining a) a maximum SEM value and a minimum SEM value from said plurality of non-target SEM values and said target SEM value or b) an average SEM value from said plurality of non-target SEM values and said target SEM value;
iii) determining a difference between a) said maximum SEM value and said minimum SEM value or b) said average SEM value and at least one of said plurality of non-target SEM values or said target SEM value; and
iv) identifying said target location or said non-target locations as having a SEM indicative of tissue damage if said difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.
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