Systems for monitoring infant oral motor kinetics during nutritive and non-nutritive feeding

• US 10,299,718 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chantal Lau
• Original Assignee: Chantal Lau
• Inventors: Lau, Chantal
• Primary Examiner(s): McCrosky, David J.
• Application Number:
  US15/408,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 600587-595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/045 Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/038 Measuring oral pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/224 Measuring muscular strength
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4233 oesophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4552 Evaluating soft tissue within the mouth, e.g. gums or tongue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 11/00 Teats
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 13/00 : Breast-nipple shields breast-pumps A61M1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 17/001 : Baby-comforters
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 17/103 : Temperature sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 : Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/76 : for fluid level
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0053 : Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 9/00 : Feeding-bottles in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/34 : by measuring pressure or differential pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/363 : with electrical or electro-mechanical indication G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/42 : Orifices or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 : using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 : ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 : relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system device and method for monitoring infant oral motor kinetics (OMK), which can be used to assess the functional significance of the different sucking components, i.e., the plasticity of infant sucking skills in relation to their oral feeding performance, at a particular time, during the developmental period and/or during preventive or therapeutic intervention programs. It is a unique system and apparatus that provides a means to study the nonnutritive and/or nutritive sucking skills, i.e., the Suction and/or Expression components of sucking, of infants in the natural setting, i.e., during a normal feeding session. OMK sensors, tracked in real-time by the monitoring system, include miniature pressure transducers, or pressure sensitive pads, attached to the nipple for measuring intraoral pressure pulses during Suction, and for measuring compression/stripping pressure pulses during Expression; and a miniature flow sensor for measuring fluid flow rate, which can be integrated over time to determine the volume of milk removed (bolus) per suck. Other signals, such as respiration, swallowing, thermal, optical, and acoustic signals can be recorded and compared along with the instrumented-nipple signals, in an OMK monitoring system.

Claims

1. An instrumented nipple for monitoring oral motor kinetics in an infant, comprising:

a pressure sensitive pad attached to the nipple, wherein the pressure sensitive pad comprises an array of at least two pressure sensitive elements capable of providing a plurality of real-time electrical signals representing a temporal-spatial distribution of pressure forces applied to the nipple by the infant, when the nipple is placed in the infants mouth; and

further wherein the at least two pressure sensitive elements are disposed on a rigid substrate that is attached to the nipple.

2. The instrumented nipple of claim 1, wherein the array of pressure sensitive elements is a 1-dimensional array of elements, and a longitudinal direction of the 1-dimensional array is aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the nipple.

3. The instrumented nipple of claim 1, wherein the array of pressure sensitive elements comprises at least one 2-dimensional array of elements.

4. The instrumented nipple of claim 3, wherein a longitudinal direction of the at least one 2-dimensional array is aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the nipple.

5. The instrumented nipple of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive pad is disposed on a neck of the nipple.

6. The instrumented nipple of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive pad is attached to an exterior surface of the nipple.

7. The instrumented nipple of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive pad is attached to an interior surface of the nipple.

8. The instrumented nipple of claim 7, further comprising at least one through hole disposed in a sidewall of the nipple, wherein the at least one through hole is located over a portion of the pressure sensitive pad.

9. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive pad is embedded inside of a sidewall of the nipple.

10. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive pad comprises a plurality of active pressure sensing elements that sense changes in electrical capacitance.

11. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive pad comprises a plurality of active pressure sensing elements that sense changes in electrical resistance.

12. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive pad comprises a plurality of active pressure sensing elements that sense by using a piezoelectric effect.

13. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive pad flexible substrate is glued to the nipple using a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive.

14. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the nipple is a pacifier.

15. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the nipple includes a nipple shield that covers a portion of a human breast and all of a human nipple with a flexible cover that has one or more holes for allowing breast milk to pass through the one or more holes during infant breastfeeding.

16. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive pad is selected from the group consisting of:

a pressure pad, a tactile sensor/sensing array, an artificial electronic skin, a pressure mapping system, and a flexible pressure sensor.

17. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive elements comprise pressure sensitive MEMS elements.

18. The instrumented nipple of claim 8, wherein the pressure pad is disposed in a recessed pocket located on an outside surface of a sidewall of the nipple.

19. The instrumented nipple of claim 18, wherein the pressure pad is covered with a protective coating that covers both the exterior of the pressure pad and an exterior portion of the nipple adjacent to the pad.

20. The instrumented nipple of claim 19, wherein the protective coating is made of silicone.