Apparatus for preventing sleeping respiratory obstruction

• US 20070240723A1
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bio Sleep Med Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bio Sleep Med Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Junghwa, Shin, Chol
• Application Number:
  US11/787,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20070240723A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00

Abstract

An apparatus for preventing a sleeping respiratory obstruction includes a pillow sheet having a plurality of chambers on which a user'"'"'s body is arranged for preventing a sleeping respiratory obstruction, and a control module for controlling inflation and deflation of the chambers in the pillow sheet by supplying and discharging pressure to and from the chambers, to thereby allow the pillow sheet to support a head and a neck of the user during sleep. The sleeping respiratory obstruction apparatus further includes a wearable unit detachably coupled to the pillow sheet and be worn on the human body during sleep.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing a sleeping respiratory obstruction, comprising:

a pillow sheet having a plurality of chambers on which a body of a user is arranged;

a pressure controller for supplying and discharging pressure to and from the respective chambers for an inflation and a deflation of the respective chambers;

a pressure detection unit for detecting pressure in each of the chambers;

a storage unit for storing optimal pressure pattern data obtained by making use of patterns of pressure changes in each of the chambers during normal sleep; and

an artificial intelligence controller for comparing the pressure pattern data with the pressure in each of the chambers received from the pressure detection unit to check whether or not a respiratory obstruction has occurred, and providing to the pressure controller, in case the occurrence of the respiratory obstruction has been detected, pressure control signal for controlling the inflation and the deflation of the chambers so that an upper airway of the user is made open.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure control signal controls the inflation and the deflation of the chambers supporting a head and a neck of the user during sleep so that the upper airway of the user is made open.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure control signal controls the inflation and the deflation of the chambers to support a thigh portion of the user during sleep so that a sleeping position of the user is changed into a lateral position by rotation, to thereby open the upper airway of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the chambers includes a chamber cell, the chamber cell having therein a plurality of air cells, and wherein the pressure to and from the chambers is supplied for an inflation and a deflation of each of the air cells.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pillow sheet has on a bottom surface thereof a base for supporting the inflation of the chambers and preventing a sliding of the pillow sheet.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pressure in each of the air cells is detected by the pressure detection unit and then provided to the artificial intelligence controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sound sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting sound pattern data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage unit further stores therein optimal sound pattern data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the optimal sound pattern data with the sound pattern data detected by the sound sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a vibration sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting vibration variation data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage unit further stores therein optimal vibration variation data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller the optimal vibration variation data compares the optimal vibration variation data with the vibration variation data detected by the vibration sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a blood oxygen saturation sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting a blood oxygen saturation data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage unit further stores therein optimal blood oxygen saturation data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the optimal blood oxygen saturation data with the blood oxygen saturation data detected by the blood oxygen saturation sensor to thereby detect whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a power supply for supplying electrical power to the apparatus; and

a manipulation panel for allowing a user to select an on/off operation of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the manipulation panel is configured to select an operation mode of the apparatus on a user basis;

and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the sound pattern data, the vibration variation data or the blood oxygen saturation data detected by the sound sensor, the vibration sensor or the blood oxygen saturation sensor for a selected user with the optimal sound pattern data, the optimal vibration variation data or the optimal blood oxygen saturation data, respectively, to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the manipulation panel is configured to select a learning mode, and in case the learning mode is selected, patterns of pressure changes during normal sleep are repetitively measured on a chamber basis and then stored in the storage unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the artificial intelligence controller provides the pressure control signal to the pressure controller by performing a fuzzy control.

14. An apparatus for preventing a sleeping respiratory obstruction, comprising:

a pillow sheet having a plurality of chambers on which a body of a user is arranged;

a wearable unit detachably coupled to the pillow sheet and be worn on the body during sleep;

a pressure controller for supplying and discharging pressure to and from the respective chambers for an inflation and a deflation of the respective chambers;

a pressure detection unit for detecting pressure in each of the chambers;

a storage unit for storing optimal pressure pattern data obtained by making use of patterns of pressure changes in each of the chambers during normal sleep; and

an artificial intelligence controller for comparing the pressure pattern data with the pressure in each of the chambers received from the pressure detection unit to check whether or not a respiratory obstruction has occurred, and providing to the pressure controller, in case the occurrence of the respiratory obstruction has been detected, pressure control signal for controlling the inflation and the deflation of the chambers to support a head and a neck of the user so that an upper airway of the user is made open to thereby treat the respiratory obstruction.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the chambers includes a chamber cell, the chamber cell having therein a plurality of air cells, and wherein the pressure to and from the chambers is supplied each of the air cells for an inflation and a deflation.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the pressure in each of the air cells is detected by the pressure detection unit and then provided to the artificial intelligence controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a sound sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting sound pattern data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage unit further stores therein optimal sound pattern data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the optimal sound pattern data with the sound pattern data detected by the sound sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a vibration sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting vibration variation data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage unit further stores therein optimal vibration variation data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller the optimal vibration variation data compares the optimal vibration variation data with the vibration variation data detected by the vibration sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a blood oxygen saturation sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting a blood oxygen saturation data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage unit further stores therein optimal blood oxygen saturation data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the optimal blood oxygen saturation data with the blood oxygen saturation data detected by the blood oxygen saturation sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a power supply for supplying electrical power to the apparatus; and

a manipulation panel for allowing a user to select an on/off operation of the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the manipulation panel is configured to select an operation mode of the apparatus on a user basis;

and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the sound pattern data, the vibration variation data or the blood oxygen saturation data detected by the sound sensor, the vibration sensor or the blood oxygen saturation sensor for a selected user with the optimal sound pattern data, the optimal vibration variation data or the optimal blood oxygen saturation data, respectively, to thereby detect whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the manipulation panel is configured to select a learning mode, and in case the learning mode is selected, patterns of pressure changes during normal sleep are repetitively measured on a chamber basis and then stored in the storage unit.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the artificial intelligence controller provides the pressure control signal to the pressure controller by performing a fuzzy control.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pillow sheet serves as a collar of the wearable unit when the pillow sheet is not used to support the head and the neck of the user and is usable when the collar is unfolded.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pillow sheet includes an attaching/detaching unit for attaching/detaching the pillow to/from the wearable unit.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the attaching/detaching units includes a zipper or a Velcro.

27. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the wearable unit is formed as a vest.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the wearable unit is worn with a fastener or a zipper.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the wearable unit includes:

a front right part positioned at a right side of a front surface of the body;

a front left part positioned at a left side of the front surface of the body; and

a rear part positioned on a rear surface of the body in view of a user wearing the wearable unit,

wherein the fastener or the zipper is provided between the front left part and the front right part, between the front left part and the rear part and between the front right part and the rear part.

30. An apparatus for preventing a sleeping respiratory obstruction, comprising:

a pillow sheet having a plurality of chambers on which a body of a user is supported; and

a control module for controlling inflation and deflation of the chambers supporting the body of the user in order to open an upper airway of the user being subjected to the sleep respiratory obstruction during sleep.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the control module includes:

a pressure controller for supplying and discharging pressure to and from the respective chambers for the inflation and the deflation of the respective chambers;

a pressure detection unit for detecting the pressure in each of the chambers;

a storage unit for storing optimal pressure pattern data obtained by making use of patterns of pressure changes in each of the chambers during normal sleep; and

an artificial intelligence controller for comparing the pressure pattern data with the pressure in each of the chambers received from the pressure detection unit to check whether or not the sleep respiratory obstruction has occurred, and providing to the pressure controller, in case the occurrence of the sleep respiratory obstruction has been detected, pressure control signal for controlling the inflation and the deflation of the chambers so that the upper airway of the user is made open to thereby treat the respiratory obstruction.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the pressure control signal controls the inflation and the deflation of the chambers supporting a head and a neck of the user during sleep so that the upper airway of the user is made open.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the pressure control signal controls the inflation and the deflation of the chambers to support a thigh portion of the user during sleep so that a sleeping position of the user is changed into a lateral position by rotation, to thereby open the upper airway of the user.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each of the chambers includes a chamber cell, the chamber cell having therein a plurality of air cells, and wherein the pressure to and from the chambers is supplied for an inflation and a deflation of each of the air cells.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the pillow sheet has on a bottom surface thereof a base for supporting the inflation of the chambers and preventing a sliding of the pillow sheet.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the pressure in each of the air cells is detected by the pressure detection unit and then provided to the artificial intelligence controller.

37. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a sound sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting sound pattern data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage further stores therein optimal sound pattern data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the optimal sound pattern data with the sound pattern data detected by the sound sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

38. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a vibration sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting vibration variation data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage further stores therein optimal vibration variation data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller the optimal vibration variation data compares the optimal vibration variation data with the vibration variation data detected by the vibration sensor to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

39. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a blood oxygen saturation sensor connected with the artificial intelligence controller, for detecting a blood oxygen saturation data of the user during sleep,

wherein the storage further stores therein optimal blood oxygen saturation data during normal sleep, and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the optimal blood oxygen saturation data with the blood oxygen saturation data detected by the blood oxygen saturation sensor to thereby detect whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

40. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

a power supply for supplying electrical power to the apparatus; and

a manipulation panel for allowing a user to select an on/off operation of the apparatus.

41. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the manipulation panel is configured to select an operation mode of the apparatus on a user basis;

and

wherein the artificial intelligence controller compares the sound pattern data, the vibration variation data or the blood oxygen saturation data detected by the sound sensor, the vibration sensor or the blood oxygen saturation sensor for a selected user with the optimal sound pattern data, the optimal vibration variation data or the optimal blood oxygen saturation data, respectively, to thereby check whether or not the respiratory obstruction has occurred.

42. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the manipulation panel is configured to select a learning mode, and in case the learning mode is selected, patterns of pressure changes during normal sleep are repetitively measured on a chamber basis and then stored in the storage unit.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the artificial intelligence controller provides the pressure control signal to the pressure controller by performing a fuzzy control.

44. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a wearable unit detachably coupled to the pillow sheet and be worn on the body of the user during sleep.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the pillow sheet serves as a collar of the wearable unit when the pillow sheet is not used to support the body and the neck of the user and is usable when the collar is unfolded.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the pillow sheet includes an attaching/detaching unit for attaching/detaching the pillow sheet to/from the wearable unit.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the attaching/detaching units includes a zipper or a Velcro.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the wearable unit is formed as a vest.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the wearable unit is worn with a fastener or a zipper.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the wearable unit includes:

a front right part positioned at a right side of a front surface of the body;

a front left part positioned at a left side of the front surface of the body; and

a rear part positioned on a rear surface of the body in view of the user wearing the wearable unit,

wherein the fastener or the zipper is provided between the front left part and the front right part, between the front left part and the rear part and between the front right part and the rear part.