SIDS and apnea monitoring system

• US 20060097879A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kathy J. Lippincott
• Original Assignee: Kathy J. Lippincott
• Inventors: Lippincott, Kathy J.
• Application Number:
  US10/973,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A sleeping person is monitored by a system having a sensor unit and a base unit. The sensor unit outputs a sensor signal corresponding to each of at least two body function parameters of a sleeping person, such as a heart-rate, a respiratory rate and/or a body temperature of the sleeping person. The base unit determines whether an alarm condition is present based on each sensor signal output from the sensor unit and, in response to a detected alarm condition, generating an actuation signal for actuating an audible signal, such as a recording of a voice of a caregiver, in proximity of the sleeping person. The sensor unit also includes a shock-delivering device, and the base unit generates an actuation signal for actuating the shock-delivering device for stimulating the sleeping person to do one of breathe and enter a less deep sleep pattern.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sensor unit outputting a sensor signal corresponding to each of at least two body function parameters of a sleeping person; and

a base unit determining whether an alarm condition is present based on each sensor signal output from the sensor unit and, in response to a detected alarm condition, generating an actuation signal for actuating a shock-delivering device for stimulating the sleeping person to do one of breathe and enter a less deep sleep pattern.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the base unit generates an actuation signal, in response to the detected alarm condition, for actuating an audible signal in proximity of the sleeping person.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the audible signal is a recording of a voice of a caregiver.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit outputs a sensor signal corresponding to a heart-rate and a respiratory rate of the sleeping person.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the sensor unit further outputs a sensor signal corresponding to a body temperature of the sleeping person.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detected alarm condition includes at least one of a heart rate lower than a predetermined heart rate, a respiratory rate that is lower than a predetermined respiratory rate, a body temperature that is less than a first predetermined body temperature and a body temperature that is greater than a second predetermined body temperature.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring unit including a display and an audible actuator, and

wherein the base unit sends a monitoring signal representing each sensor signal output by the sensor unit to the monitoring unit, and

wherein the display on the monitoring unit, in response to the monitoring signal, displays a current value of each sensor signal.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a display displaying a current value of each sensor signal.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a heart-shaped indicator that indicates a heart rate of the sleeping person.

10. A method of monitoring a sleeping person, the method comprising:

generating a sensor signal corresponding to each of at least two body function parameters of a sleeping person;

determining whether an alarm condition is present based on each sensor signal output from the sensor unit; and

generating an actuation signal in response to a detected alarm condition for actuating a shock-delivering device for stimulating the sleeping person to do one of breathe and enter a less deep sleep pattern.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising generating an actuation signal, in response to the detected alarm condition, for actuating an audible signal in proximity of the sleeping person.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the audible signal is a recording of a voice of a caregiver.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising outputting a sensor signal corresponding to a heart-rate and a respiratory rate of the sleeping person.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising outputting a sensor signal corresponding to a body temperature of the sleeping person.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the detected alarm condition includes at least one of a heart rate lower than a predetermined heart rate, a respiratory rate that is lower than a predetermined respiratory rate, a body temperature that is less than a first predetermined body temperature and a body temperature that is greater than a second predetermined body temperature.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the audible signal is a recording of a voice of a caregiver.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising displaying a current value of each sensor signal.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising displaying a heart rate of the sleeping person using a heart-shaped indicator.