US4777960A
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Method and apparatus for the assessment of autonomic response by broad-band excitation
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Filing: 1986-08-18
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Granted: 1988-10-18
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Expires: 2006-08-18
Abstract
Abstract A rapid, noninvasive technique for quantifying the dynamic response of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to perturbations it senses over a broad range of physiologically relevant frequencies. The technique involves two steps. First, a physiologic parameter sensed by the ANS is subjected to a broad-band perturbation as an input signal while a physiologic parameter modulated by the ANS is monitored as an output signal. Then, the transfer relation between input signal and output signal is determined. The computed transfer relation is then readily interpretable in terms of responsiveness of the various limbs of the ANS.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald D. Berger
- 👤 Jerome P. Saul
- 👤 Ming H. Chen
- 👤 Richard J. Cohen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 04:55
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/08; A61B5/085; A61B5/086; A61B5/02; A61B5/024; A61B5/02405; A61B5/0245; A61B5/40; A61B5/4029; A61B5/4035; A61B5/68; A61B5/6801; A61B5/6813; A61B5/6825; A61B5/6826; A61B5/683; A61B5/6838; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/92; Y10S128/925
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
48 words
Method for assessing autonomic response comprising: applying a broad-band perturbation to a physiologic input signal sensed by the autonomic nervous system; monitoring a physiologic output signal modulated by the autonomic nervous system; computing the transfer relation between the physiologic input and output signals; and displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
48 words
Method for assessing autonomic response comprising: applying a broad-band perturbation to a physiologic input signal sensed by the autonomic nervous system; monitoring a physiologic output signal modulated by the autonomic nervous system; computing the transfer relation between the physiologic input and output signals; and displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the input signal to which the broad-band perturbation is applied is respiratory activity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the physiologic output signal is heart rate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 in which the broad-band perturbation has a Poisson distribution.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation has a Poisson distribution modified to prohibit intervals shorter than some minimum interval t min .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation is a Poisson distribution modified to prohibit intervals shorter than some minimum interval t min or longer than some maximum interval t max .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation lasts for approximately 6 minutes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation contains components in the range of 0.0-0.5 Hz.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the transfer relation is a complex transfer function.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the autonomic response is assessed on a standing subject.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the autonomic response is assessed on a supine subject.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation is applied to arterial pressure as the input signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation has a Gaussian white noise distribution.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation has a random switching signal distribution.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation has a pseudo random binary distribution.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the broad-band perturbation is modified in a specific frequency band.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the physiologic output signal is a hemodynamic parameter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the perturbation is auditory stimuli.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the perturbation is visual stimuli.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the visual stimuli are light flashes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the complex transfer function is decomposed into magnitude and phase components.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 12 wherein arterial pressure variations are accomplished by modulating air pressure in a body suit or neck chamber worn by a subject.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
52 words
Method for assessing autonomic response comprising: applying a broad-band perturbation to respiratory activity which is the input signal sensed by the autonomic nervous system; monitoring heart rate as the output signal modulated by the autonomic nervous system; computing the transfer relation between respiratory activity and heart rate; and displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
Method for assessing autonomic response comprising: applying a broad-band perturbation to respiratory activity which is the input signal sensed by the autonomic nervous system; monitoring heart rate as the output signal modulated by the autonomic nervous system; computing the transfer relation between respiratory activity and heart rate; and displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
56 words
Method for assessing autonomic response comprising: applying a broad-band perturbation to a physiologic parameter which is the input signal sensed by the autonomic nervous system; monitoring an output signal which is a physiologic parameter which is modulated by the autonomic nervous system characterizing the relationship between the input and output signals; and displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
56 words
Method for assessing autonomic response comprising: applying a broad-band perturbation to a physiologic parameter which is the input signal sensed by the autonomic nervous system; monitoring an output signal which is a physiologic parameter which is modulated by the autonomic nervous system characterizing the relationship between the input and output signals; and displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the relationship between the input signal and the output signal is performed by a regression analysis.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus for assessing autonomic response comprising: means for subjecting a physiologic parameter sensed by the autonomic system as an input signal to a broad-band perturbation; means for monitoring an output signal which is a physiologic parameter modulated by the autonomic nervous system; and means for computing the relationship between the input and output signals; and means for displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus for assessing autonomic response comprising: means for subjecting a physiologic parameter sensed by the autonomic system as an input signal to a broad-band perturbation; means for monitoring an output signal which is a physiologic parameter modulated by the autonomic nervous system; and means for computing the relationship between the input and output signals; and means for displaying said transfer relation.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the broad-band perturbation is applied to respiratory activity as the input
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the physiologic is heart rate.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the relationship between the input signal and the output signal is a transfer function.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the broad-band perturbation applied to respiratory activity as the input signal is induced by external cues to which the subject is trained to respond.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the broad-band perturbation has a Poisson distribution.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the relationship between the input signal and the output signal is determined by a regression analysis.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the output signal is a hemodynamic parameter.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-10-18 | 1992-04-18 | 1992-10-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-10-18 | 1996-04-18 | 1996-10-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-10-18 | 2000-04-18 | 2000-10-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |