Apparatus and method for the treatment of sleep apnea, arrhythmia, and partial epilepsy

• US 20050222503A1
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Allan Dunlop, Robert Dale Jr. Gunderman
• Original Assignee: David Allan Dunlop, Robert Dale Jr. Gunderman
• Inventors: Dunlop, David Allan, Gunderman, Robert Dale Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,387,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/06 Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B

Abstract

An apparatus to detect the onset of sleep apnea, and to provide an automated way to awaken the sleeping patient at the onset of sleep apnea. The apparatus may also contain a recording device or computer that captures blood oxygen levels and pulse rates throughout the period of sleep, and may contain computer programs, algorithms, subroutines or logic to determine the level of blood oxygen and pulse rate that indicates the onset of a sleep apnea event. The method of arousing the patient from sleep at the onset of a sleep apnea event will decrease or eliminate the occurrence of sleep apnea, arrhythmia, and partial epilepsy over time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the treatment of sleep apnea in a patient, said apparatus comprising:

a. a device for measuring pulse rate and blood oxygen content in said patient;

b. a probe connected to the device for sensing and conveying data indicative of said pulse rate and said blood oxygen content to said device;

c. a means for detecting an increase in said pulse rate and a decrease in said blood oxygen content as measured by the device; and

d. alarm means that is activated upon an increase in said pulse rate and a decrease in said blood oxygen content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device is a pulse-oximeter.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising computing means including a software program, wherein said software program extracts data from said device, compares said data to apnea baseline data, and dynamically adjusts threshold values of said pulse rate and said blood oxygen content at which to activate said alarm means.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm means is an audible alarm.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm means is a visual alarm.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm means is a mechanical alarm.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm means is in wireless communication with said device.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said probe is in wireless communication with said device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device is a pulse-oximeter.

9. A method for treating a patient with sleep apnea comprising the steps of:

a. connecting a probe for sensing and conveying data indicative of pulse rate and blood oxygen content to said patient;

b. connecting the probe to a device for measuring pulse rate and blood oxygen content in said patient;

c. monitoring blood oxygen level and pulse rate of said patient using the device;

d. establishing threshold values for blood oxygen level values and pulse values at which to activate an alarm warning of the onset of said sleep apnea in said patient;

e. activating said alarm at the onset of said sleep apnea in said patient as indicated by said blood oxygen level and said pulse rate of said patient reaching said threshold values.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of repeating steps a.-e. for each of at least seven consecutive sleep sessions of said patient.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

f collecting said blood oxygen level data and said pulse rate data from said patient;

g. generating a comparison between said blood oxygen level data and said pulse rate data from said patient to baseline data for blood oxygen level and pulse rate;

h. modifying said threshold values for said blood oxygen level and said pulse rate based on said comparison.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of repeating steps a.-h. for each of at least seven consecutive sleep sessions of said patient.

13. An apparatus for the treatment of sleep apnea comprised of:

a device comprising an operatively connected probe, wherein the probe detects a change in pulse rate or a change in blood oxygen content as measured by the device;

and an alarm that is activated upon the change in pulse rate or the change in blood oxygen content with respect to pre-defined threshold values.