Application US20180103913

Calculating respiratory parameters from thermal measurements
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US20180103913

1. A system configured to calculate a respiratory parameter, comprising: (13) (4)

an inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM) configured to take thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (TH_ROI) of a user; wherein TH_ROIare indicative of the exhale stream; and

a computer configured to:

generate feature values based on TH_ROI; and

utilize a model to calculate the respiratory parameter based on the feature values; wherein the model was trained based on previous TH_ROIof the user taken during different days.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the respiratory parameter is indicative of the user's breathing rate; CAM is located above the user's upper lip and less than 15 cm from the user's face, and does not occlude any of the user's mouth and nostrils; TH_ROIcomprise thermal measurements of at least first and second regions below right and left nostrils (TH_ROI1and TH_ROI2, respectively) of the user, which are indicative of exhale streams from the right and left nostrils, respectively; and TH_ROIfurther comprise thermal measurement of at least one of a region on the mouth and a volume protruding out of the mouth (TH_ROI3) of the user, indicative of exhale stream from the mouth. (2) (0)

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one inward-facing head-mounted visible-light camera configured to take images of a region on the mouth (IM_M), wherein IM_Mare indicative of whether the mouth is open or closed; and the computer is further configured to utilize the model to detect, based on TH_ROIand IM_M, whether the user is breathing mainly through the mouth or through the nose; wherein the model was trained based on: a first set of TH_ROItaken while IM_Mwas indicative that the mouth is open, and a second set of TH_ROItaken while IM_Mwas indicative that the mouth is closed. (0)

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the respiratory parameter is indicative of smoothness of the exhale stream, and the computer is further configured to alert the user responsive to detecting that the smoothness is below a predetermined threshold. (0)

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to utilize an indication of consuming a substance to detect a respiratory-related attack by training the model based on: a first set of TH_ROItaken while the user experienced a respiratory-related attack after consuming the substance, and a second set of TH_ROItaken while the user did not experience a respiratory-related attack after consuming the substance; and wherein the consuming of the substance involves consuming at least one of a certain drug and a certain food item. (0)

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to utilize an indication of a situation of the user to detect a respiratory-related attack by training the model based on: a first set of TH_ROItaken while the user was in the situation and experienced a respiratory-related attack, and a second set of TH_ROItaken while the user was in the situation and did not experience a respiratory-related attack; and wherein the situation involves one or more of the following: (i) interacting with a certain person, (ii) a type of activity the user is conducting, selected from at least two different types of activities associated with different levels of stress, and (iii) a type of activity the user is about to conduct within thirty minutes, selected from at least two different types of activities associated with different levels of stress. (0)

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to take measurements indicative of the user's movements (m_move), and the computer is further configured to detect a respiratory-related attack based on m_moveand TH_ROI. (1) (0)

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to take measurements indicative of the user's movements (m_move), and the computer is further configured to determine, based on m_moveand TH_ROI, whether the user exhaled while making a physical effort above a predetermined threshold. (1) (0)

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to take measurements indicative of the user's movements (m_move), and the computer is further configured to: (i) receive from a fitness app an indication that the user should exhale while making a movement, (ii) determine, based on m_move, when the user makes the movement, and (iii) determine, based on TH_ROI, whether the user exhaled while making the movement. (0)

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to take measurements indicative of the user's movements (m_move), and the computer is further configured to: (i) receive from a fitness app a certain number of breath cycles during which the user should perform a physical exercise, (ii) determine, based on m_move, when the user performs the physical exercise, and (iii) count, based on TH_ROI, the number of breath cycles the user had while performing the physical exercise. (0)

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the model was further trained based on previous TH_ROIof the user taken while the user had an asthma attack, the respiratory parameter comprises the user's breathing rate, and the computer is further configured to command a user interface to alert the user about an imminent asthma attack responsive to identifying an increase in the breathing rate that is associated with an asthma attack according to the model. (2) (0)

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the respiratory parameter comprises the ratio between exhale and inhale durations (t_exhale/t_inhale), and the computer is further configured to instruct the user, via a user interface, to prolong the exhale when t_exhale/t_inhalefalls below a predetermined threshold. (0)

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to: (i) receive an indication that the user's stress level reaches a first threshold, (ii) identify, based on TH_ROI, that the ratio between exhaling and inhaling durations (t_exhale/t_inhale) is below a second threshold that is below 1.5, and (iii) command a user interface to suggest the user to prolong the exhale until t_exhale/t_inhalereaches a third threshold that is at least 1.5. (0)

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising another inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera configure to take thermal measurements of a region on the forehead (TH_F); wherein the computer is further configured to utilize TH_ROIand TH_Fto detect a respiratory-related attack; wherein the model was trained based on: a first set of TH_ROIand TH_Ftaken while the user experienced a respiratory-related attack, and a second set of TH_ROIand TH_Ftaken while the user did not experience a respiratory-related attack. (0)

21. A method for calculating a respiratory parameter, comprising: (3) (3)

taking, using an inward-facing head-mounted thermal camera (CAM), thermal measurements of a region below the nostrils (TH_ROI) of a user; wherein TH_ROIare indicative of the exhale stream;

generating feature values based on TH_ROI; and

utilizing a model to calculate the respiratory parameter based on the feature values; wherein the model was trained based on previous TH_ROIof the user taken during different days.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein TH_ROIcomprise thermal measurements of regions below the right and left nostrils and thermal measurement of a region on the mouth, and further comprising detecting based on TH_ROIwhether the user is breathing mainly through the mouth or through the nose. (0)

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising taking, using a sensor, measurements indicative of the user's movements (m_move), and determining, based on m_moveand TH_ROI, whether the user exhaled while making a physical effort above a predetermined threshold. (0)

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising: training the model based on previous TH_ROIof the user taken while the user had an asthma attack, calculating the user's breathing rate based on TH_ROI, and alerting the user about an imminent asthma attack responsive to identifying an increase in the breathing rate that is associated with an asthma attack according to the model. (0)

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Application US20180103913

Calculating respiratory parameters from thermal measurements

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