Patent ID: 9706950
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: A61B,G16H

Claim:
1. A method comprising: a) contacting a device to an upper body portion of a subject, wherein the device comprises an accelerometer, and a processor, wherein the subject is at elevated risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia; b) detecting by the accelerometer a change in posture of the subject; c) calculating by the processor an angle formed by a cross sectional plane of the device and a plane of reference based on the detected change in posture of the subject; and d) monitoring the angle formed by the cross sectional plane of the device and the plane of reference and generating an alert when the angle formed by the cross sectional plane of the device and the plane of reference is outside a predetermined range, wherein the predetermined range is from about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees, and wherein the subject is at elevated risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia when the angle formed by the cross sectional plane of the device and the plane of reference is outside the predetermined range.