Patent ID: 8439836

Claim:
Method for monitoring the autonomous nervous system of a sedated patient, the method being performed by a control unit in an apparatus, comprising providing, from a measurement equipment, a skin conductance signal measured at an area of the patient's skin, calculating, by the control unit, characteristics of said skin conductance signal, establishing, by the control unit, a first output signal indicating the state of pain/discomfort in the patient, based on said characteristics of said skin conductance signal, wherein said characteristics comprise the average value of the skin conductance signal through a first time interval and the average value of the skin conductance signal through a second time interval, and the number of fluctuation peaks or valleys of the skin conductance signal through said second time interval, and establishing, by the control unit, a second output signal indicating the state of awakening in the patient, based on said characteristics of said skin conductance signal, said establishing step including comparing the number of fluctuation peaks or valleys through said second time interval with a limit value, and if the number of peaks or valleys is higher than the limit value, comparing the average conductance value through the second interval with the average conductance value through the first interval, and if the second average conductance value is the larger, establishing the second output signal as indicating the state of awakening in the patient.