System and Method for Reducing Snoring and/or Sleep Apnea of Sleeping Person

• US 20080308112A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Aarts, Ronaldus Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/097,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20080308112A1
• 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

System and method for reducing snoring and sleep apnea of a sleeping person (1), the system (2) comprising at least one sensor (4) for detecting occurrence and/or likeliness of occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea and for producing a sensor signal (A) indicative of the occurrence and/or likeliness of the occurrence of the snoring and sleep apnea and a processor unit (6) for determining from the sensor signal whether the occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person is likely, wherein the system is provided with a stimulator (10) controllable by the processor unit, wherein the stimulator is arranged to trigger the sleeping person to change position using a triggering signal.

Claims

1. System (2) for reducing snoring and/or sleep apnea of a sleeping person (1), the system (2) comprising

at least one sensor (4) for detecting occurrence and/or likeliness of occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea and for producing a sensor signal (A) indicative of the occurrence and/or likeliness of the occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea;

a processor unit (6) for determining from the sensor signal (A) whether the occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person (1) is likely; and

a stimulator (10) controllable by the processor unit (6), wherein the stimulator (10) is arranged to trigger the sleeping person to change position using a triggering signal, while the person (1) remains asleep.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the processor unit is configured to control the stimulator (10) to trigger the sleeping person if occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person is likely.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the stimulator (10) is arranged for the sleeping person (1) to change position in such a way that breathing will be resumed and/or snoring will be reduced while the person remains asleep.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the change of position is such that the person'"'"'s soft palate changes position for allowing that breathing will be resumed and/or snoring will be reduced while the person (1) remains asleep.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a sleep detection apparatus (12) for determining whether a person is asleep.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a polysomnography apparatus (13) for monitoring the sleeping person.

7. System according to claim 6, wherein the polysomnography apparatus (13) is arranged to determine the sleeping depth of the sleeping person.

8. System according to claims 7, wherein the processor unit (6) is arranged to control the stimulator (10) for triggering the sleeping person in accordance with the sleeping depth.

9. System according to claim 6, wherein the processor unit is arranged to start determining whether occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person is likely when the polysomnography apparatus (13) has determined that the person has fallen asleep.

10. System according to 6, wherein the processor unit and/or the sleep detection apparatus (12) is further arranged to determine from the signal whether the sleeping person (1) is still asleep or has been accidentally awoken due to the triggering of the person.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein the processor unit (6) is arranged to adjust at least one triggering parameter, which defines the triggering signal.

12. System according to claim 10, wherein the processor unit (6) is arranged to adjust the triggering parameters on the basis of information concerning earlier triggering.

13. System according to claim 1, wherein the stimulator (10) is arranged to exert a mechanical force on the sleeping person (1) to trigger the sleeping person to change position.

14. System according to claim 1, wherein the stimulator (10) comprises an acoustical emitter, wherein the emitter is arranged to emit a sound having a suitable pitch, length and/or intensity for triggering the sleeping person to change position.

15. System according to claim 1, wherein the stimulator (10) is arranged to electrically trigger the sleeping person to change position.

16. System according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is an acoustical sensor.

17. System according to claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor array (4_ij).

18. System according to claim 17, wherein the processor unit (6) is arranged to separate acoustical sources.

19. Method for reducing snoring and/or sleep apnea, the method comprising the steps of:

producing a signal indicative of the occurrence and/or likeliness of occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea using at least one sensor (4);

determining from the sensor signal whether occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person is likely; and

triggering the sleeping person to change position while the person remains asleep, if occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person is likely.

20. Method according to claim 19, wherein a sensor produces said signal, a processor determines from the sensor signal whether occurrence of the snoring and/or sleep apnea of the sleeping person is likely, and a stimulator (10) controllable by the processor unit (6) is arranged to trigger the sleeping person to change position using a triggering signal, while the person (1) remains asleep.